ANALYSIS: Crossed frequencies — Minister Malatsi and deputy out of sync over SA’s spectrum future
Seemingly unbeknownst to his deputy, Communications Minister Solly Malatsi buried the last remnant of Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams’ era at the DCDT on Friday.
The Communications Minister Solly Malatsi and Deputy Minister Mondli Gungubele have been at odds over South Africa's spectrum future. Malatsi issued directives to bypass the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) BEE deadlock and clear the way for Starlink, which was expected to land by December 12, 2025. Gungubele maintained that South Africa always needs more investment in the communications industry, but was not privy to Malatsi's actions at the weekend.
The former minister, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, had initiated a shared wholesale telecommunications network known as the Wireless Open Access Network (Woan), but plans were delayed and officially scrapped before full implementation. Malatsi's decision to release unassigned spectrum back to Icasa for licensing was seen as a move to kill off a failed policy experiment and release trapped national assets into the economy, while enforcing wholesale access and facilities leasing via regulatory oversight.
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