Plan to overhaul SIM card purchasing and registration in South Africa

Luis

Luis

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Say goodbye to SIM cards as you know them in South Africa

The era of easily buying an activated SIM card in South Africa is rapidly coming to an end, as the government and telecommunications industry plan to overhaul the system to eliminate loopholes.

The circulation of irregularly registered SIM cards has been linked to serious crimes, including banking fraud, cash-in-transit heists, extortion, contract killings, and kidnappings.
 
JerryMungo said:
Yep, it takes 2 minutes to buy a pre-RICA'd sim card, sealed and all that at the local shop.
Click to expand...
Although, they eventually stop working after prompting you to RICA, right? That's what my MTN sims did.

That's still a lot of time to communicate with nefarious intentions.
 
If a criminal really wants a SIM that's not linked to his ID, he will still be able to ask a poor person to just buy him a SIM. Just give him R100. This loophole cannot be closed.

And there are many apps for end to end encryption. So government will never know who you contacted.
 
This was such a badly written article, lots of repitition and word salad. Here Miles, I fixed it for you....

South Africa is moving to end the easy purchase of activated SIM cards as the government and telecommunications industry work together to overhaul the system and close existing loopholes.

This initiative follows urgent meetings called by Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi, who highlighted that improperly registered SIM cards are heavily linked to serious crimes like banking fraud, contract killings, and kidnappings.

The Association of Communications and Technology (ACT) confirmed that a framework agreement has been developed to introduce enhanced identity verification, stricter registration controls, and better compliance monitoring.

Attendees noted that the current RICA legislation needs to be reviewed and strengthened to adapt to technological advancements and evolving criminal tactics, prompting plans for a comprehensive audit of the existing SIM card database.

To enforce these changes immediately, the Department of Justice announced that strict enforcement of legal provisions—which carry penalties of up to R5 million or 10 years in prison for non-compliance—will commence on July 1, 2026.
 
Gimli_ said:
This was such a badly written article, lots of repitition and word salad. Here Miles, I fixed it for you....

South Africa is moving to end the easy purchase of activated SIM cards as the government and telecommunications industry work together to overhaul the system and close existing loopholes.

This initiative follows urgent meetings called by Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi, who highlighted that improperly registered SIM cards are heavily linked to serious crimes like banking fraud, contract killings, and kidnappings.

The Association of Communications and Technology (ACT) confirmed that a framework agreement has been developed to introduce enhanced identity verification, stricter registration controls, and better compliance monitoring.

Attendees noted that the current RICA legislation needs to be reviewed and strengthened to adapt to technological advancements and evolving criminal tactics, prompting plans for a comprehensive audit of the existing SIM card database.

To enforce these changes immediately, the Department of Justice announced that strict enforcement of legal provisions—which carry penalties of up to R5 million or 10 years in prison for non-compliance—will commence on July 1, 2026.
Click to expand...
*Luis
 
The fact that this is only being looked at 20 odd years down the line tells me it is only happening because it is a European agenda 2030 requirement.
 
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