Regional Co-operation in the Telecommunications Sector via CRASA

This case study examines the role of the Communications Regulators’ Association Southern Africa (CRASA) in harmonising telecommunications, broadcasting, and postal policies among member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It highlights the active participation of private sector companies, such as Vodacom and MTN, within government delegations to provide technical expertise and influence regional regulatory frameworks.

• CRASA serves as an implementing agency for SADC, aiming to harmonise the information and communications technologies (ICT) sector to drive economic growth and social development. It provides a platform for national regulators to discuss policy and acts as an advocate at the SADC Secretariat for new industry development needs in telecommunications, broadcasting, and postal services.
• The Electronic Communications Committee (ECC), composed of experts from CRASA membership, is the primary mechanism for integrating regulatory frameworks. The ECC develops model guidelines for telecommunications and broadcasting regulations and provides a platform for policy debates to ensure these sectors contribute to regional economic performance.
• Private sector companies, including large operators like Vodacom and MTN, participate in CRASA via government delegations because national regulators often lack expertise in new developments. These companies provide technical advice and negotiate based on global experience, as seen in the ongoing debate since 2008 regarding the lowering of international roaming charges.
• Regional policy harmonisation is hindered by national incompetencies in transposing regional agreements into national law and by delays caused by governments consolidating positions for services negotiations. For example, while the SADC Secretariat adopted guidelines for international roaming charges in early 2013, no SADC states had yet translated them into national policy.
• There is a significant disparity in telecommunications penetration across the region, which affects the urgency of policy harmonisation. While countries like South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, and Nigeria show deeper penetration, others lag behind; for instance, weak national regulators in Swaziland correlate with weaker regional participation, whereas the Democratic Republic of Congo participates actively due to critical concerns over mobile penetration.
• The telecommunications sector is a major employer in several SADC countries, with 2011 data showing employment in telecoms at 7.4% of the labour force in Mauritius, 5.6% in South Africa, and 3% in Botswana.

APA

Bertelsmann-Scott, T. (2013). Regional Co-operation in the Telecommunications Sector via CRASA. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/REV_SAIIA_perisa_ps_CS4bertelsmann-scott_20131212.pdf

Chicago

Bertelsmann-Scott, Talitha. Regional Co-operation in the Telecommunications Sector via CRASA. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2013. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/REV_SAIIA_perisa_ps_CS4bertelsmann-scott_20131212.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bertelsmann-Scott |first1=Talitha |title=Regional Co-operation in the Telecommunications Sector via CRASA |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=August 2013 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/REV_SAIIA_perisa_ps_CS4bertelsmann-scott_20131212.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bertelsmannscott2013regional, author = {Bertelsmann-Scott, Talitha}, title = {{Regional Co-operation in the Telecommunications Sector via CRASA}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2013}, month = aug, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/REV_SAIIA_perisa_ps_CS4bertelsmann-scott_20131212.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }