Johannesburg – Session Telecoms has instructed its legal team to seek a review of a ruling by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) that imposed a R6 million administrative fine together with additional sanctions.
The ICASA Council adopted the recommendations of its Complaints and Compliance Committee on 18 June 2026.
The Committee found that Session Telecoms had contravened two provisions of the Numbering Plan Regulations following a complaint lodged by MTN.
The ruling imposed a R3-million fine for each contravention, together with the barring and withdrawal of certain numbers, mandatory monthly reporting for a period of 24 months, and ongoing monitoring.
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Legal Challenge Underway
“We respectfully disagree with material aspects of both the findings and the sanctions imposed,” said Hanro Wentzel of Session Telecoms.
“Having obtained advice from Senior Counsel, we believe there are substantial grounds to challenge the decision. We are accordingly exercising our rights through the appropriate legal channels.”
Wentzel added: “The matter is now in the hands of our legal representatives. Consistent with this process, we will not litigate the case in the media, and this statement does not disclose the detailed grounds of our review application.”
About Session Telecoms
Session Telecoms is a licensed South African electronic communications operator.
The company holds individual Electronic Communications Service (ECS) and Electronic Communications Network Service (ECNS) licences issued by ICASA and provides wholesale voice and interconnection services.
Session Telecoms confirmed that it engaged constructively with the regulator throughout the investigation and remains fully committed to complying with the Numbering Plan Regulations and all other applicable regulatory requirements.
Call for Public Hearings on Telecommunications Fraud
Session Telecoms calls on ICASA to convene public hearings on the pervasive issue of telecommunications fraud in South Africa, which the company regards as a systemic, industry-wide challenge that requires a coordinated, sector-wide response.
“Interconnect bypass and the manipulation of calling line identification are serious problems that affect every operator and, ultimately, all South African consumers,” Wentzel said.
“No single operator can solve these issues in isolation. They demand open, evidence-based engagement across the entire sector.”
The company emphasised that fraud on inbound international routes constitutes only one part of the problem.
Consumers are also adversely affected at other points in the call chain, and any regulatory intervention that fails to address the full scope of the issue will not adequately protect end-users.
“We believe ICASA has an important leadership role to play in initiating a broader enquiry into the true extent of telecommunications fraud in South Africa, its cost to consumers, and the most effective solutions,” Wentzel concluded.
“Session Telecoms stands ready to participate constructively in such a process.”
Next Steps
Session Telecoms will provide further updates at the appropriate time but will make no additional comment on the specifics of the review application until then.
*This article first appeared in our sister publication techfinancials.co.za
