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‘A shared understanding with Netflix’

ICASA takes back telco collusion accusation

Kenyan exporters could get tariff refunds

Airtel and Starlink partner in DR Congo

World Wide Web 3

Events

Streaming

South African lawmakers want Netflix to share its lunch with the SABC

Imagine a local bakery that has served the neighbourhood for decades, only for a massive, high-tech franchise bakery to open next door and take most of the customers. Instead of trying to close the bakery, the city council now wants both stores to start co-owning the bread they sell.

That best describes the latest push by South African lawmakers to force a collaboration between the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the struggling state-owned broadcaster, and streaming giant Netflix.

What happened? The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, a group of South African lawmakers, is pushing for Netflix to partner with SABC to boost the local film industry.

The committee said the “ Netflixes of this world ” have decimated the SABC’s advertising revenue while operating in a regulatory loophole. The proposal aims to have both parties collaborate on content production and business models, though Netflix and the SABC have reportedly clashed over intellectual property (IP) ownership in the past.

Explain like I’m new here: The SABC is South Africa’s state-owned broadcaster, funded by TV licences and ads. Netflix is the global streaming giant that does not have to follow the same strict local content rules.

Lawmakers believe that because Netflix is “winning” the market, it should help the SABC survive—either through shared production or through a proposed “streaming levy” that could see international platforms funding the public broadcaster’s recovery. SABC is facing mounting pressure that is affecting its revenue, including a collapsed TV licence collection rate, the increasing need to shift advertiser spend toward online and pay-TV platforms, and other operational costs. In 2025, the broadcaster lost R253.3 million ($14 million), about 28% worse than the previous year.

Lawmakers believe a deal with Netflix could reset SABC on course for a more sustainable future, but it could also force the streaming giant to shoulder some of the costs of the disruption it has helped create.

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Telecoms

ICASA goes back on its “collusion” accusation

South Africa’s communications regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), suspected that MTN and Vodacom, two telecom operators in the country, joined forces to protest the new rules. It has now taken back that claim.

What happened? In a Parliament briefing in August, ICASA suggested that MTN and Vodacom might be colluding over their opposition to new data-expiry rules. Both operators have separately gone to court to challenge parts of the regulations, arguing that the regulator overstepped its authority and that some of the requirements are difficult to implement. On Friday, the regulator retracted its statement, saying there was no evidence.

Explain like I’m new here: The row goes back to 2022 when ICASA proposed that telecom operators must allow customers to roll over unused data. After years of consultations and pushback from operators, the regulator eventually settled on a rule requiring unused data, voice, and SMS bundles to roll over at least once, free of charge, from January 2027.

MTN and Vodacom were not pleased. In July, the operators filed separate court applications asking the High Court to set aside parts of the rules.

Which brings us to where we are now: South Africans currently lose eligible unused data when their bundles expire. ICASA wants to change that by requiring operators to roll over unused data, voice and SMS bundles at least once for free. MTN and Vodacom are fighting parts of the rules in court.

MTN argues that the rules could reduce competition and push prices up by taking away operators’ ability to offer cheaper bundles without rollover or transfer features. It also argues that the rules create an uneven playing field because mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) are not subject to the same requirements.

ICASA saw both operators file the same complaint and thought it was collusion. Because it had no evidence to support that view, ICASA withdrew the statement.

What happens now? The underlying dispute has not gone away. From January 2027, operators will have to roll over eligible unused data, voice, and SMS bundles at least once. MTN and Vodacom are still challenging parts of those requirements, while ICASA has withdrawn its collusion accusation and is defending the regulations.

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Economy

Kenya wants US tariffs refunded to exporters

Kenya is preparing to help Kenyan companies reclaim tariffs paid during the four months when the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) expired.

Explain like I’m new here: AGOA is a duty-free trade pact linking the United States with eligible sub-Saharan countries, including Kenya. Since 2000, qualifying countries such as Kenya have shipped products including textiles, tea, coffee, and fresh produce into the US without the usual import duties.

In September 2025, AGOA expired, leaving Kenyan exporters to pay duties on shipments entering the US from October, the following month.

The turnaround: Between October 2025 and January 2026, the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, an industry group, said exporters faced tariffs ranging from 15% to 42%. However, in February, the US government restored and extended AGOA. The proposal now goes a step further by allowing eligible exporters to recover the duties they paid during the lapse.

Who gets their money back? The trade ministry is proposing that the tariff refund would apply only to general customs duties and would not cover interest, merchandise processing fees, or certain specialised reciprocal tariffs. If the legislation becomes law, Kenya’s trade ministry says it will work with US Customs and Border Protection to help companies file their claims. Eligible exporters should then receive refunds within 90 days of filing.

Yet the refund could still be a pipe dream: Kenyan exporters have been promised a refund, but the US Congress still has to make that promise legal. The US Senate passed the refund clause on August 8, but it now has to make it through the House of Representatives and reach President Donald Trump for signature. The House could approve the Senate version or amend it to fit the presidency’s tariff agenda.

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Internet

Airtel and Starlink bring satellites to DR Congo

Walking through the vast, remote forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) usually means saying goodbye to your mobile signal. But a new partnership is trying to change that.

Airtel, the telecom company operating in 14 African markets, and Starlink, the Elon Musk-owned satellite internet operator, have launched a satellite-to-mobile service in the DRC, bringing connectivity to areas where traditional towers cannot reach.

What does this mean? Airtel subscribers in the DRC can now access mobile data and messaging directly through Starlink’s satellite network. According to Airtel, subscribers can access light browsing, such as WhatsApp and SMS services, on compatible low-end Android phones. The launch follows a strategic partnership signed in December 2025 to introduce Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell technology across 25 African countries, and successful pilot testing in Kenya earlier this year.

Explain like I’m new here: Airtel has been laying the groundwork for this “space race” for years. In 2024, it signed a backhaul deal with SpaceX to route traffic from remote base stations through satellites. The latest move goes a step further, allowing an existing phone to talk directly to a satellite in space, which then beams the signal back to Airtel’s network. It is a shortcut to broader coverage that skips the need to build thousands of expensive physical towers in difficult terrain.

Zoom out: The DRC, with its 2.3 million square kilometres of mostly rural land and 30.5% internet penetration, remains a difficult market to cover with towers alone. By partnering with SpaceX, Airtel is using satellite links to extend service into places where terrestrial infrastructure is hard to build and maintain, and the rollout gives the companies a live test of how Direct-to-Cell can work alongside existing mobile networks in one of Africa’s largest countries.

CRYPTO TRACKER

The World Wide Web3

Source:

Coin Name

Current Value

Day

Month

• 0.62%

– 0.83%

• 1.01%

• 0.96%

• 4.49%

– 53.78%

• 0.09%

• 0.58%

• Data as of 06.40 AM WAT, August 17, 2026.

Events

Condia is bringing together founders, payment leaders, regulators, investors, and businesses for The Borderless Experience, an event exploring the future of cross-border payments, travel, and commerce in Africa. Taking place on August 21, 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria, the event will focus on practical, operator-led conversations around payment infrastructure, AI, stablecoins, market expansion, and the realities of building across African markets. Register here to attend.

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Written by: Zia Yusuf and Yemi Kareem

Edited by: Emmanuel Nwosu & Ganiu Oloruntade

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