👨🏿🚀TechCabal Daily – ICASA rolls over
In today's edition: ‘A shared understanding with Netflix’ || ICASA takes back collusion accusation || Kenyan exporters could get tariff refunds || Airtel and Starlink partner in DR Congo
Good morning. Welcome to another week. Let's dive into the latest happenings in tech and commerce across Francophone Africa.
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies in South Africa has proposed a partnership between the struggling state-owned broadcaster, SABC, and the global streaming giant, Netflix. This collaboration aims to boost the local film industry by sharing costs and resources in content production.
Netflix, known for its global reach, has reportedly taken a significant share of the SABC's advertising revenue. The committee sees Netflix's dominance as a threat to the SABC's survival, as the broadcaster faces mounting pressure due to collapsing TV licence collections, shifting advertiser spending, and operational costs. In 2025, the SABC lost R253.3 million ($14 million), a significant 28% drop from the previous year.
While Netflix and the SABC have clashed over intellectual property ownership in the past, the lawmakers believe a collaboration could be beneficial. They propose that both parties work together on content creation and business models, or introduce a "streaming levy" that would see international platforms fund the public broadcaster's recovery.
Written by urgent.news from TechCabal's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
