By: Van
Soul Addey
The Communications
Regulators’ Association of Southern Africa (CRASA) has called for stronger
regulatory harmonisation, coordinated regional investment and improved
cybersecurity to support inclusive, secure and resilient digital infrastructure
across Southern Africa.
The Executive Secretary of
CRASA, Dr Stanley Shanapinda, made the call during a keynote address at the
opening of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) Executive
Masterclass for Commonwealth Regulators, held on October 26, 2026, in Gaborone,
Botswana.
Hosted by the Botswana
Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA), the five-day Masterclass runs from
October 26 to 30 under the theme “Spectrum, Satellite, Security and the
Business of Space”. It brings together policymakers, regulators and industry stakeholders
to exchange knowledge and expertise on emerging developments in
telecommunications regulation, spectrum management, satellite communications,
network security and the commercial space economy.
In his address, titled
“Shaping Africa’s Connected Future: Effective Regulation for Inclusive, Secure
and Resilient Digital Infrastructure,” Shanapinda emphasised the importance of
effective regulation in fostering investment, strengthening digital infrastructure
and advancing regional economic integration across the Southern African
Development Community (SADC).
He highlighted the need for
greater regulatory harmonisation, noting that national infrastructure
investments should contribute to building a larger, interconnected regional
market that supports digital trade, innovation and economic participation.
Shanapinda also stressed the
importance of moving beyond network coverage to address barriers to meaningful
connectivity, including affordability, access to electricity and devices, and
digital skills.
He called for coordinated
regional investment programmes to address national connectivity gaps, alongside
stronger cybersecurity measures, critical infrastructure protection and
cross-border cooperation to ensure secure and resilient communications networks.
Highlighting the benefits of
regional collaboration, he acknowledged progress in cross-border roaming
initiatives, including selected tariff reductions of up to 98.6% reported by
BOCRA. He said such achievements demonstrate the value of cooperation among
governments, regulators and operators in advancing affordable and seamless
communications across Southern Africa.
Looking ahead, Shanapinda
called for stronger alignment between regional regulatory frameworks and
national implementation, supported by measurable outcomes in affordability,
service reliability and digital trade.
He emphasised that effective
regulatory harmonisation must translate into practical benefits for citizens,
businesses and economies across the region.
