Communications Dept issues gazette to review B-BBEE licensing requirements for satellite service companies
JOHANNESBURG - The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies has issued a gazette to review B-BBEE licensing requirements for satellite service companies.
In a statement, Minister Solly Malatsi said that this was in line with government's efforts to attract foreign investment.
The announcement comes just days after US President Donald Trump met with President Cyril Ramaphosa to try and reset bilateral relations.
Malatsi said the current regulations did not allow many companies that can contribute to the country's transformation goals to qualify for individual licenses under the Electronic Act.
"Currently, the rules around who can acquire a licence to provide electronic communications services or to operate an electronic communications network require a minimum of 30% shares to be in the hands of historically disadvantaged individuals.
"EEIPs, provided for under the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act (Act 53 of 2003) and the ICT Sector Code, allow qualifying multinationals to meet empowerment obligations through alternatives to 30% ownership — such as investing in local suppliers, enterprise and skills development, job creation, infrastructure support, research and innovation, digital inclusion initiatives, and funding for SMMEs."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Eyewitness News
4 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
'Return to your country' Kabul tells Afghans rebuffed by Washington
KABUL, Afghanistan - The Taliban government on Saturday urged Afghans hoping to emigrate to the United States to instead return to Afghanistan, after Washington tightened entry conditions. US President Donald Trump this week announced a travel ban targeting 12 countries, including Afghanistan, which his proclamation said lacked "competent" central authorities for processing passports and vetting. Commenting on the ban on Saturday, Prime Minister Hassan Akhund urged Afghans to return to their country, saying they would be protected even if they worked with US-led forces in the two-decade fight against the Taliban insurgency. "For those who are worried that America has closed its doors to Afghans... I want to tell them, 'Return to your country, even if you have served the Americans for 20 or 30 years for their ends, and ruined the Islamic system'," he said in a speech marking the Eid al-Adha holiday, broadcast by state media. "You will not face abuse or trouble," he said, making reassurances that the Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada had "granted amnesty for all". After surging to power in 2021, Taliban authorities announced a general amnesty for Afghans who worked with the Western-backed forces and government. However, the United Nations has recorded reports of extrajudicial killings, detentions and abuses. In the past four years, the Taliban government has imposed a strict view of Islamic law and restrictions on women which the UN says amount to "gender apartheid". Afghans fled in droves to neighbouring countries during decades of conflict, but the chaotic withdrawal of US-led troops saw a new wave clamouring to escape Taliban government curbs and fears of reprisal for working with Washington. The United States has not had a working embassy in Afghanistan since 2021 and Afghans must apply for visas in third countries, principally Pakistan which has recently ramped up campaigns to expel Afghans. Since Trump returned to the White House in January, Afghans have gradually seen their chances of migrating to the United States or staying there shrink. Trump administration orders have disrupted refugee pathways and revoked legal protections temporarily shielding Afghans from deportation starting in July.
The Citizen
4 hours ago
- The Citizen
‘Is it greed or jealousy?': Ramaphosa fires back at critics of BEE, Transformation Fund
The president pushed back against the argument that BEE is a cost to the economy. President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on 16 September 2022. Picture: AFP / Saul Loeb President Cyril Ramaphosa has come out swinging against critics of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), questioning whether their opposition is rooted in 'greed' or 'jealousy'. Ramaphosa was speaking during his keynote address at the gala dinner of the Black Business Council's annual summit held at the Radisson Hotel and Convention Centre in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni. The two-day summit concluded on Friday. National dialogue and socioeconomic challenges Delivering his speech, Ramaphosa reiterated the government's commitment to hosting a national dialogue to develop solutions for the country's pressing issues. 'Some of these challenges manifest themselves in a number of problems that people not only in our country are facing. 'Cost of living crises are widespread and they impact largely disproportionately on poor people and even middle-income households,' he said. ALSO READ: DA is crippling the government's transformation agenda – labour minister The president acknowledged that while unemployment is a global issue, South Africa is particularly affected. 'We have the worst unemployment problem, especially youth unemployment.' He highlighted the mistrust in institutions, attributing it to high levels of corruption and state capture. Economic growth through transformation Ramaphosa emphasised the potential of the government of national unity (GNU) in driving transformation. He said growth of the country's economy will happen through transformation. 'That is the reality. Transformation is vital if growth is to be meaningful and is to be inclusive as well as to be sustainable. 'There are those who say, dump transformation, dump the black economic empowerment. READ MORE: Affirmative-action measures must 'not go too far', argues DA in court 'Dump it because it is inhibiting growth and I argue that it is what happened in the past that we have to transform and to change, and we can only do so through transformation to grow our economy.' He referred to the Constitution as the foundation for transformation policies. 'The heart of our Constitution is around the equality clause, which says that steps and measures and laws must be made to redress the injustices of our past and we will not get away from that,' the president told delegates. 'It is what happened in the past that we must never forget, for it must inform what we need to do now, and it must inspire what we should do in the future. That's what we need to do and it's not limited to a few laws, policies or regulations.' Watch Ramaphosa's speech below: Ramaphosa defends BEE Ramaphosa stated that legislative frameworks like the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) and the Employment Equity Act are crucial tools for driving transformation. Despite progress in narrowing the equality gap, the president pointed out that significant disparities remain – with the average income of white households still nearly five times higher than that of black African households. READ MORE: Employment Equity Bill has 'shortcomings' Ramaphosa appeared to take a swipe at the Democratic Alliance (DA), which is challenging the Employment Equity Act in court. 'Quite often they are the ones who complain about employment equity, black economic empowerment and you often wonder, what is it? 'Is it greed that is driving them or is it jealousy because it should be prosper thy neighbor that should drive them. They should be applauding. 'Yes, people are also moving up the scale and they are often the very first to complain and even to take government to court.' Transformation Fund Ramaphosa called for the ownership, management, and control of key industries, such as construction, to reflect South Africa's demographics. 'We cannot separate our drive for inclusive growth for the drive for economic empowerment. 'And I stress this because the noises that continue to be made against empowerment and transformation are worrying.' Addressing criticism of the Transformation Fund, Ramaphosa reaffirmed the government's commitment to its implementation. 'We suddenly heard negative voices about the establishment of the Transformation Fund and we have said we are forging ahead with the establishment of this fund and we are going to allocate money.' READ MORE: What problem does government want to solve with R100bn Transformation Fund? He emphasised that access to finance remains a key barrier for black-owned businesses: 'We therefore as government must make sure that there is access to funding for black-owned businesses.' Ramaphosa also pushed back against the argument that BEE is a cost to the economy. 'There are those who say it is costing the economy much too much. And when you ask them in what way it is costing the economy, they are not able to explain. We need to demonstrate that it is an investment in the economy.'
eNCA
5 hours ago
- eNCA
Japan says 'progress' but no 'agreement yet' in US tariff talks
TOKYO - Japan said it was making "progress" in talks aimed at easing US President Donald Trump's tariffs but cautioned that the two sides have not found "a point of agreement yet". Japan, a key US ally and its biggest investor, is subject to the same 10 percent baseline tariffs imposed on most nations plus steeper levies on cars, steel and aluminium. Trump also announced an additional 24 percent "reciprocal" tariff on Japan in early April, but later paused it along with similar measures on other countries until early July. Japan wants all levies announced by Trump lifted. During a fifth round of talks, "we further made progress towards an agreement", Ryosei Akazawa, Tokyo's trade envoy, told Japanese reporters in Washington. But, he added: "We've not been able to find a point of agreement yet". Akazawa said Tokyo was hoping to seal a deal "as soon as possible", however, talks may still be ongoing when a summit of the Group of Seven wealthy nations starts on June 15. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Trump are reportedly planning to hold bilateral talks around the time of the G7 summit in Canada. Washington's 25-percent auto tariffs are particularly painful for Tokyo, with roughly eight percent of all Japanese jobs tied to the sector. Japan's economy, the world's fourth largest, contracted 0.2 percent in the first quarter of 2025, adding to pressure on the unpopular Ishiba ahead of upper house elections expected in July.
