Prepaid consumers are set to benefit from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa)’s amendment of the rules on mobile data bundle expiry.

From the 23^rd of January next year, South Africa’s telecommunications companies will be required to allow consumers to roll over unused mobile data bundles.

Icasa gazetted the new regulations on Friday that provide for at least one rollover on the same terms as the original bundle.

Icasa Councillor Dikeledi Catherine Mushi has cautioned that bundles for seven days or less, including uncapped as well as free and promotional bundles, will be excluded.

“For that, we are trying to balance the market so that the market stays alive while consumers also enjoy the benefits, especially on the seven days. We were just cautious that, these are bundles that are your R5 bundles where somebody quickly wants to buy a bundle for the day to do an urgent call. We did not want to discourage investments and networks to now all of a sudden get rid of these bundles.”

South Africans have long lamented high and unaffordable data costs.

According to a 2024 report published by the Association of Communications and Technology, local mobile data costs in the SADC region are among the cheapest compared to countries such as Namibia, Zimbabwe and Mauritius.

Meanwhile, the country’s largest mobile providers have raised concerns about the impact of the new regulations.

Telecommunications writer, Mudiwa Gavaza explains they might see a drop in purchases owing to the new regulations.

“One of the things that I would be keen to see (is) how it plays out is whether or not a move like this would actually encourage consumers to either increase or decrease the amounts of data that they actually use. Because you can imagine people are using way more data in 2026 than they did in 2016. So, at the end of the day, what’s going to be the net result of that?”

Gavaza has indicated that it is likely some of the mobile operators will push back in the matter that has been ongoing for years.

Icasa says mobile networks must also notify customers when they’ve used certain percentages of their data, while also giving them the choice to control out-of-bundle charges.

Data prices are not affordable for many: 

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