What's changed at ICASA and in RICA/POPIA for telecoms and ICT providers

ICASA finalised new numbering plan rules on mobile number churn and recycling in mid-2026, and separately opened consultation on amending the spectrum fee regulations. RICA itself is in an unusual position: Parliament's rewrite of the Act was sent back by the President over constitutional concerns, and the Constitutional Court has had to keep intervening to keep the current Act operating lawfully in the meantime.

Reviewed by TefCo Compliance Research — last verified 15 September 2026.

In short

ICASA published the Numbering Plan Fourth Amendment Regulations, 2025 on 1 July 2026, with a six-month transitional period for licensees.
The amendments standardise mobile number churn, deactivation and recycling, and require at least two subscriber reminders before deactivation.
ICASA has separately consulted on draft amendments to the Radio Frequency Spectrum Fees Regulations, 2010.
The RICA Amendment Bill passed by Parliament in December 2023 was referred back by the President in November 2024 over constitutional concerns and, as at the most recent Constitutional Court intervention in July 2025, had still not been re-enacted.

Numbering Plan Fourth Amendment Regulations, 2025

ICASA published the Numbering Plan Fourth Amendment Regulations, 2025 under section 68 of the Electronic Communications Act 36 of 2005, confirmed by media statement on 2 July 2026. The regulations create a standardised framework for the churn, deactivation and recycling of inactive mobile numbers: a defined 60-day inactivity period, a minimum of two reminders to the subscriber before deactivation, free resuscitation of a deactivated number, and an unlimited window for a subscriber to opt for retention or exemption.

Licensees have a six-month transitional period from the date of publication in the Government Gazette to make the necessary network and system changes.

Spectrum fee regulations under review

ICASA has also declared its intention to amend the Radio Frequency Spectrum Fees Regulations, 2010, inviting written representations on a draft amendment. This was at the consultation stage rather than finalised — licensees holding spectrum should watch for the final gazetted version rather than budget off the draft.

Draft regulations are not binding. Confirm whether ICASA has since finalised the spectrum fee amendment before using any draft figure in a budget or fee calculation.

RICA's unresolved rewrite

Parliament passed the RICA Amendment Bill in December 2023 to respond to the Constitutional Court's 2021 AmaBhungane ruling that parts of RICA's interception-authorisation regime were unconstitutional. In November 2024 the President referred the Bill back to the National Assembly, citing continuing constitutional concerns — including that a subject of surveillance could still never be notified, with no review of that decision available.

Because the rewrite has not been finalised, the Constitutional Court has had to keep extending interim relief to keep RICA operable; it did so again in a July 2025 judgment. None of this affects the section 40 subscriber-information duty that applies to telecoms and ICT providers day to day — that provision is untouched by the interception-related litigation.

Frequently asked

Do the numbering plan changes affect fixed-line or only mobile numbers?

The Fourth Amendment Regulations are aimed at mobile cellular number churn, deactivation and recycling specifically — confirm scope against the gazetted regulations for any fixed-line numbering question.

Has the RICA Amendment Bill become law?

No. As at the most recent public reporting, it remains with Parliament following the President's November 2024 referral back on constitutional grounds, and has not been re-passed and assented to.

Does the RICA litigation change the section 40 SIM registration duty?

No — the litigation concerns RICA's interception-authorisation provisions. The section 40 duty to record and store subscriber information at SIM activation is a separate, unaffected part of the Act.

Sources

TefCo Corporate Compliance (Pty) Ltd is a compliance management platform, not a legal, tax or advisory firm. This guide is general information, not advice. Fees, dates and thresholds change — confirm current figures with the regulator before you rely on them.