The telecommunications Sector industry body, COMRIC, today released its first Telecommunications Sector Report. The Communications Risk Information Centre (COMRIC) report, provides a comprehensive overview of the risks, challenges, and strategic responses shaping South Africa’s telecommunications sector.
Marking five years since COMRIC’s founding by telco operators, Vodacom, MTN, Telkom, Cell C, and Liquid Intelligent Technologies, the report highlights the sector’s critical role in economic growth and the multifaceted threats it faces, including infrastructure theft, cybercrime, and fraud.
Through collaborative efforts, advanced technologies, and regulatory advocacy, COMRIC is in the process of gaining additional support and cooperation from associated industries such as the banking industry as well as administration bodies such as ICASA to drive security improvements, innovation and data sharing structures to secure South Africa’s digital future.
Key Highlights and Findings:
Telecommunications Platforms a Major Chanel for Crime and Fraud
While there has been progress made towards stemming the tide of various crimes and fraud attempts via telecommunications, it remains a major channel for criminal activities as well as cyber crime attacks. The numbers presented in the report, indicate that fraud via telecom, is costing the SA economy in the region of R5.3 billion annually.
Global and Regional Context:
- Africa faces 3,286 weekly cyberattacks, with South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and Morocco heavily targeted. Globally, cybercrime costs are projected to reach $10.5 trillion by 2025.
- Tanzania and Ghana reduced SIM box fraud through deactivation of unregistered SIMs and fraud management systems, offering models for South Africa.
Critical Role of Telecom Infrastructure:
- The Comric 2025 report stresses the role of Telecommunications in supporting economic and social activities, comparable to electricity in importance. It supports banking, healthcare, logistics, and government services.
- Physical infrastructure (fiber-optic networks, cell towers, copper cables, submarine cables, satellite systems, and data centers) faces significant risks from theft, vandalism, and sabotage, costing the sector billions annually.
Major Threats to the Sector:
- Infrastructure Theft and Vandalism: Copper cable and lithium battery theft cost South Africa R5-7 billion annually, disrupting networks and emergency services. In 2024, 963 arrests were made, but only 198 cases were finalized, highlighting challenges in securing convictions.
- Cybercrime Surge: South Africa faces 3,312 weekly cyberattacks, with ransomware (78% of companies affected in 2025) and SIM swap fraud (58% of mobile banking fraud in 2023) as dominant threats. The average data breach cost R53.1 million in 2024.
Progress in Risk Mitigation:
- Fraud Reduction: Telecom fraud cases declined from March 2024 to April 2025 due to AI-driven analytics, biometric authentication, and real-time monitoring. A 30-40% drop in copper and battery theft was noted due to enhanced security measures.
- Industry Collaboration: COMRIC facilitates intelligence sharing among operators (MTN, Vodacom, Telkom, Cell C, Liquid) and partnerships with law enforcement (SAPS, Hawks), regulators (ICASA), and cross-sector bodies like SABRIC. However there is much work still to be accomplished in this regard with a heavily over-regulation on data sharing creating restrictions in effectively fighting crime.
Strategic Initiatives and Recommendations:
- National Cybersecurity Resilience Plan (NCRP): COMRIC has called for a unified plan to integrate government, legislative, business, and law enforcement efforts to combat cyber threats.
- Consumer Awareness: COMRIC has plans to roll out a national campaign to educate users on fraud prevention, alongside a sector-wide Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) with a dedicated platform where all potential fraud can be reported by individuals and companies.
Sector Innovations:
- Generative AI: Expected to unlock $6-9.6 billion in economic value through improved network resolution and customer service.
- Satellite Connectivity: Potential regulatory changes to allow providers like Starlink to expand rural broadband access.
This article originally appeared on Business Tech Africa. Click to read the full article.