Business
South Africa is finally moving to stop your mobile data from expiring
A long overdue rethink of mobile data rules
If you have ever watched your last few megabytes disappear just before payday, you are not alone. Across South Africa, data expiry has become one of the most frustrating parts of daily digital life. Now, that could be about to change.
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, better known as ICASA, is pushing ahead with plans that would allow unused mobile data bundles to roll over instead of expiring. It is a shift that has been debated for years and one that could reshape how millions of South Africans buy and use data.
What is actually being proposed
According to the Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition, Parks Tau, ICASA is finalising regulations that will soon be published. These rules are expected to deal with both the rollover and transfer of unused data bundles, bringing mobile data closer in line with the Consumer Protection Act.
In simple terms, the regulator wants to stop consumers from losing data they have already paid for while still allowing networks to manage their systems responsibly.
Why consumer groups are sounding the alarm
Not everyone is celebrating just yet. Amandla.Mobi executive director Koketso Moeti has warned that the way rollover is implemented matters just as much as the policy itself.
Her concern is rooted in everyday realities. Many low-income users buy very small bundles, sometimes just an hour or a day of data at a time. When load reduction hits, particularly in townships, that data can expire before it is even used. In those cases, data expiry does not just feel unfair. It feels punitive.
Moeti has cautioned that a poorly designed rollover system could lead to networks scrapping small, affordable bundles altogether or quietly pushing prices up. That would widen the digital divide rather than narrow it.
Her proposal is more measured. Let data roll over for the same validity period it originally had. Two-day data rolls over for another two days. Nothing unlimited, nothing open-ended.
Why data expires in the first place
Mobile networks argue that expiry is not just about profits. In September 2025, Cell C explained that validity periods help manage limited network resources. Data is expensive to deliver, and demand fluctuates wildly across different users and times.
Shorter validity periods allow operators to offer lower-priced bundles, giving customers flexibility to buy data only when they need it. Without expiry, unused data, known in the industry as breakage, would need to be priced elsewhere. That usually means higher upfront costs.
The three-year debate that refuses to die
Parliament has also weighed in. Mzwandile Masina, chair of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry, and Competition, has reiterated calls for data bundles to remain valid for at least three years.
The committee, which considered views from the National Consumer Commission, ICASA, and the Competition Commission, described it as unacceptable that unused data simply disappears. For many vulnerable users, that data represents their last available cash.
Despite repeated attempts over the years, a blanket three-year validity rule has never stuck. Regulators face pushback from network operators who argue that removing expiry would interfere with network planning and pricing models, almost certainly triggering legal challenges.
What this could mean for everyday users
On social media, the reaction has been cautiously optimistic. Many South Africans welcome the idea of rollover but fear it will only benefit contract users or those buying large bundles. Others worry that any consumer win will be clawed back through higher prices.
The reality is that most networks already offer long validity bundles, but they come at a premium. Weekly and monthly data remain the lifeline for millions.
If ICASA gets this right, data rollover could offer real relief without breaking the system. If it gets it wrong, the people who rely on small, innovative bundles could be left worse off than before.
For now, South Africans will be watching closely. Data is no longer a luxury. It is how we work, learn, apply for jobs, and stay connected. What happens next will say a lot about who the digital economy is really built for.
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Source: MyBroadband
Featured Image: MyBroadband
