South Africa: Closed consultation on White Paper on Audio and Audiovisual Media Services and Online Content Safety including license requirement

On 8 September 2023, the South African Government closed its consultation on the draft White Paper on Audio and Audiovisual Media Services and Online Content Safety. The White Paper includes high-level policy proposals on regulations and principles to modernise the current legal framework on Audio and Audio-visual Content Services (AAVCS). The main change to the current licensing framework is the replacement of traditional “broadcasting services” with the broader category of AAVCS. In particular, “On-demand content services” (OCS) with an annual turnover in the previous financial year of ZAR 100 million or more are required to apply for an individual license and OCS with an annual turnover in the previous financial year between ZAR 50 and 99 million are required to apply for a class license. OCS available on the internet, OCS with an annual turnover in the previous financial year below ZAR 50 million, and video sharing platform services (VSPS) for sharing user-generated content are not required to have a license.