South Africa wants every SIM to become a digital ID

Privet,

Victoria from Techpoint here,

Here’s what I’ve got for you today:

• South Africa wants every SIM to become a digital ID
• Court upholds FCCPC’s digital lending powers
• Starlink officially launches in Côte d’Ivoire

South Africa wants every SIM to become a digital ID

South Africa wants your SIM card to become much more than a way to make calls or browse the Internet. The government and the country’s telecom industry are planning the biggest overhaul of SIM registration since mandatory registration was introduced under the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act (RICA) nearly two decades ago. Instead of simply checking an ID document, the proposed system will verify customers in real time against the Department of Home Affairs database, turning every registered SIM into a more trusted form of digital identity.

The proposal could have far-reaching implications beyond telecoms. Today, mobile numbers are used to access bank accounts, receive one-time passwords, authenticate digital payments and log into countless online services. But they’ve also become a prime target for fraudsters. By strengthening identity checks at the point of SIM registration, authorities hope to reduce SIM swap fraud, identity theft and the use of pre-registered SIM cards that criminals often exploit. If successful, the reforms could make banking, fintech and other digital services safer for millions of South Africans.

The push comes after years of growing concern over digital crime. According to the telecom industry, the current RICA framework no longer reflects how fraud has evolved since around 2019, when organised cybercrime, financial fraud and identity theft began increasing sharply. Authorities have…