South Africans will soon stop automatically losing access to unused mobile data, voice minutes and SMS bundles.
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Good news for South Africans: unused mobile data, voice minutes, and SMS bundles will no longer expire automatically. This follows recent amendments to telecommunications regulations published by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa).
The changes were gazetted on January 23, 2026 under the Electronic Communications Act and form part of the revised End-User and Subscriber Service Charter Regulations.
The amendments require mobile network operators to roll over unused data, voice and SMS bundles instead of allowing them to expire at the end of their validity period.
Once this is implemented, the regulations will apply across the mobile industry. It is important to note that these regulations are legally binding on all operators.
In simple terms, the regulations prevent mobile networks from automatically forfeiting unused balances that customers have already paid for. Instead, networks will be required to carry those balances forward for continued use, at no additional cost to the consumer.
In addition to this, Icasa has introduced stricter transparency rules, obliging operators to clearly inform customers about their available balances, rollover conditions and expiry periods.
Although the regulations are already in force legally, they will not take immediate effect in practice. Icasa has provided a 12-month implementation period to allow mobile operators time to upgrade their billing systems, adjust product structures and update customer communication processes.
This means consumers are likely to start seeing the impact of the new rollover rules in early 2027. Until then, existing expiry policies set by individual networks will remain in place.
The regulatory changes come as South Africans have for years complained about data expiring before it can be fully used.
South Africa remains one of the most mobile-dependent countries in the world for internet access, particularly among lower-income households. Icasa has repeatedly argued that allowing unused data to lapse unfairly disadvantages consumers, especially those who cannot afford to purchase large or frequent bundles.
The regulator has also indicated that the amendments are part of a broader effort to align South Africa’s telecommunications framework with international norms. In many comparable markets, data rollover has become standard practice, with unused balances carried forward provided certain reasonable conditions are met.
We have gone over the when and why, so what does this mean for you? For consumers, the changes promise improved value for money and greater flexibility in how mobile services are used.
Users should face less pressure to consume data before expiry and should benefit from clearer information about their remaining balances. However, the regulations still allow networks to set certain conditions around rollover, such as requiring rolled-over data to be used before newly purchased bundles or imposing reasonable limits on how long rolled-over balances may remain valid. Icasa has stated that any such conditions must comply with fairness and disclosure requirements.
Because the amendments are contained in gazetted regulations, mobile operators that fail to comply once the rules take effect could face enforcement action by Icasa. This may include administrative penalties, compliance directives or sanctions following consumer complaints. Icasa will be responsible for monitoring the industry’s adherence to the new framework.
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