By: Kanto
Kai Okanta
The Independent
Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) will host an international
Regulatory Sandbox Study Visit from September 8 to 10, 2026, bringing together
regulatory and development partners to exchange practical experience on using
experimental regulation to support responsible innovation.
The three-day programme in
Pretoria will bring together representatives from the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecommunication Development Bureau, the UK
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the UK Office of
Communications (Ofcom), the Communications Authority of Kenya and the Council
for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
ICASA Councillor Thabisa
Faye said the engagement would provide an opportunity for regulators to share
practical experiences and strengthen their capacity to design and implement
regulatory sandboxes across different jurisdictions.
“The study visit will allow
ICASA and its counterparts to share practical experiences and strengthen
regulatory capacity by exploring different approaches that support responsible
innovation across different jurisdictions,” Faye said.
The study visit will
showcase ICASA’s experience in adapting the ITU Regulatory Sandbox Framework to
the South African regulatory environment, including lessons from Dynamic and
Opportunistic Spectrum Assignment trials conducted between 2025 and March 2026.
The Dynamic and
Opportunistic Spectrum Assignment Regulations were developed through a
regulatory sandbox, which helped guide the establishment of regulatory
parameters and concessions during the trials.
Participants will examine
the design and implementation of regulatory sandboxes through practical
discussions and simulations based on the spectrum assignment trials.
The programme will also
feature a case study on Kenya’s regulatory sandbox experience, discussions on
various sandbox applications and an international perspective from Ofcom.
Participants are expected to
assess lessons from the different approaches and explore opportunities for
continued cooperation and knowledge-sharing through a network of national
regulatory sandboxes.
The study visit is supported
by the partnership between ITU and FCDO, which seeks to promote effective
regulation, encourage sustainable investment and strengthen regulatory capacity
towards achieving universal meaningful connectivity.
The partnership forms part
of the UK’s global Digital Access Programme, implemented in Brazil, Indonesia,
Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.
The engagement comes as
communications regulators increasingly explore regulatory sandboxes as a
mechanism for testing emerging technologies, services and regulatory approaches
in controlled environments before wider implementation.
