It travels through fuel prices, freight routes, supply chains, cables, digital systems and criminal opportunity.
COMRiC CEO Adv. Thokozani Mvelase CFE (FP) SA issued a clear warning: the conflict in the Middle East is not just an oil story. For South Africa, it is rapidly becoming a communications risk story, a business continuity story, and a consumer risk story.
The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly 20% of global oil and LNG flows. Any sustained disruption pushes fuel costs up, slows logistics, and strains the backup power systems that keep South Africa’s towers, base stations and switching facilities running. With 45.34 million internet users, even a partial weakening of network resilience carries wide economic and social consequences.
The sector is already under pressure. In 2025, the cost of stolen telecommunications equipment increased by nearly 200% to R200-million. When diesel, batteries and generators become more critical to network survival, they also become more attractive targets. A global conflict that deepens fuel strain and cost inflation sharpens that vulnerability further.
And because digital payments are now a strategic priority for the South African Reserve Bank, any communications disruption is also a financial system issue.
COMRiC’s guidance to operators and companies is clear and urgent: stress-test your diesel supply arrangements, strengthen site security, review backup power plans, tighten cyber vigilance, coordinate across your operations and risk teams, and prepare customer communications for potential service interruptions.
South Africa’s economy runs on always-on digital connectivity. The time to prepare is before the pressure becomes a crisis.
Read the full Engineering News feature: Conflict exacerbating pressure on South African networks
Tags: #COMRiC #NetworkResilience #CommunicationsRisk #SouthAfrica #BusinessContinuity #CyberSecurity