Icasa forces MTN, Vodacom to roll over unused data as EFF claims consumer victory

Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) has announced new regulatory amendments requiring South African mobile network operators to roll over unused prepaid data, voice, and SMS bundles to the following month at no extra cost to consumers.

The new rules, which exclude bundles shorter than seven days, also allow subscribers to transfer unused data to other users on the same network, a move aimed at strengthening consumer protection and reducing wasteful losses.

Icasa has described the changes as a major step forward for consumer rights, despite resistance from parts of the telecommunications industry.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), which has long campaigned for lower data prices, welcomed the regulatory shift, describing it as a decisive political victory achieved through sustained pressure and consistent engagement.

“This development is the direct result of sustained political pressure, principled parliamentary intervention, and consistent engagement by the EFF in defence of the constitutional right of our people to access information,” the party says.

“For years, South Africans, particularly the poor, the unemployed, the youth, and those in rural areas, have been subjected to exploitative practices in which prepaid data and airtime expire arbitrarily, despite having been fully paid for.”

Concerns over the high costs of data and telephone calls have been raised by various political voices over time.

The party also says the expiry of prepaid services had deepened inequality and restricted access to basic opportunities.

“This practice has entrenched the digital divide, undermined human dignity, and restricted access to education, employment opportunities, public services, and democratic participation,” it says.

“The EFF has always maintained that data and airtime are not perishable goods, do not rot, and, therefore, should not expire.

“Icasa has now amended the End-User and Subscriber Service Charter Regulations to change how unused prepaid data and airtime are treated.”

Under the revised regulatory framework, the EFF says, mobile network operators are required to roll over unused data, voice, and SMS bundles at the end of their validity period, rather than allowing them to expire and be forfeited.

“This rollover must occur automatically and without any additional cost to the consumer, provided the subscriber remains active on the network.”

The EFF further reveals it had engaged directly with major mobile operators to challenge industry practices.

“In parallel, the EFF pursued bilateral engagements with telecommunications companies, including MTN, Vodacom, and others, making it clear that their profit-driven business models were incompatible with the constitution,” it says.

“Central to the EFF’s argument, and now conceded by Icasa, was that expiry mandates undermine the constitutional right to access information. In a digital society, access to information is a basic requirement for a dignified life. However, this victory does not mark the end of the struggle.”

While the rollover of unused data and airtime is a significant concession, data in South Africa remains prohibitively expensive, and rollover periods remain insufficient, the EFF notes.

“The next phase of the EFF’s fight will, therefor, focus on the high cost of data, the extension of rollover periods, and the complete dismantling of exploitative pricing models that punish the poor for being poor.”

– IOL News

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