ICASA Biometric SIM Verification: What the Draft Fingerprint and Face Rules Mean for You
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The plan comes from ICASA, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, which manages phone numbers. It is called the Draft Numbering Plan Fifth Amendment Regulations, 2026 (Government Gazette No. 55631, General Notice 4217 of 2026). ICASA says the aim is to close the gap criminals use to get numbers in other people’s names, and to make SIM swap fraud harder.
What the Draft Rules Would Change
| Situation | What the draft says |
|---|---|
| New number (activation) | The network must check your identity with your fingerprint or face against Home Affairs records |
| Old number switched on again (re-activation) | The same biometric check |
| SIM swap | The network must check that the person asking for the swap is the person the number belongs to, and must refuse the swap if the identity does not match |
| Existing customers | Networks must verify all their existing customers the same way within two years after the rules take effect |
| Number of SIMs | No more than five mobile numbers per person on each network |
| Company numbers | Numbers held by companies and other juristic persons do not need the biometric check, but the five-number limit still applies |
| Visitors from other countries | A number given to a foreign visitor stays active only until the visa expires, or for 90 calendar days |
The draft defines biometric data as “physical characteristics of a natural person, such as facial images or fingerprints”. ICASA’s explanatory memorandum says this allows real-time fingerprint and face checks when a customer signs up.
Does It Matter Which Kind of SIM You Have?
No. ICASA says the checks apply to the activation of a mobile service, so the type of SIM you use is not relevant. In the memorandum, ICASA says most networks told it in 2025 that they already use biometric checks, but only for contract (post-paid) customers. The new rules would bring prepaid customers in too.
How Is This Different From RICA?
You already register every SIM under RICA, the law that covers SIM registration with your ID and address. ICASA says its new identity check is separate from RICA registration. RICA records who owns a number. The ICASA check would confirm, with your fingerprint or face, that you really are the person on the Home Affairs record.
The Five-SIM Limit Explained
The limit is five mobile numbers per person on each network, not five in total. ICASA points out that a person could still hold more than 20 numbers across different networks. It based the limit on about 117.3 million mobile subscriptions in South Africa, which works out to roughly 2.79 per person, and an average household size of 3.2 to 3.4 people.
If you have a phone, a router and a few data SIMs on one network for your family, count them now. Under the draft, the sixth number on the same network would not be allowed.
When Would the Rules Start?
| Step | Date |
|---|---|
| ICASA chairperson signs the notice | 23 October 2026 |
| Draft published in the Government Gazette | Wednesday, 28 October 2026 |
| Comment period ends | 30 working days after publication (about Thursday, 10 December 2026) |
| ICASA reviews comments and may hold public hearings | After the comment period |
| Final rules published | Date not set yet |
| Fingerprint and face checks, five-SIM limit start | 12 months after the final rules are published |
| Existing customers must be verified | Within two years after the rules take effect |
The draft does not make it fully clear whether the two years for existing customers count from the day the final rules are published or from when the checks start 12 months later. Expect ICASA to clear this up in the final version.
Your Data and Privacy
The draft limits how networks can use what they collect:
- Biometric data and ID records may only be used to verify who you are.
- After a number is switched off, the network must not keep your records for longer than 30 days, unless a law or a contract requires it or you agree to it.
- South African citizens’ records must include full names, ID number, and the place, date and time of the check. Permanent residents also need a certified copy of the permanent residence permit, and foreign visitors their passport number, an address in South Africa and, where needed, visa details.
The fines in the draft are for networks, not for customers. A network that breaks the main verification rules faces a fine of R2 million to R4 million per contravention. Going over the five-number limit, or not checking a customer’s identity before a SIM swap, carries R1 million per contravention.
What the Mobile Networks Say
On 30 October 2026, TechCentral reported that the Association of Comms and Technology, which speaks for Vodacom, MTN, Telkom, Cell C, Rain and Liquid Intelligent Technologies, supports the goal but will not back the draft in its current form. Its CEO, Nomvuyiso Batyi, raised the cost of checking customers against Home Affairs, the effect of the five-number limit on people who need several SIMs, and the overlap with RICA. The association said it will send formal comments to ICASA.
This is not the first try. ICASA introduced identity verification rules in March 2023 but suspended them until a start date that it never set. A 2022 draft on linking fingerprints to SIM cards also drew strong public criticism over privacy.
How to Comment on the Draft
Anyone can send written comments. Your view counts, especially if you depend on several SIMs, live far from network stores or worry about your biometric data.
- Write down what you support, what worries you and why. Refer to the part of the draft you mean (for example, the five-number limit).
- Email it to [email protected].
- Say in your email if you want to speak at a public hearing, in case ICASA holds one.
- If part of your comment is confidential, send two versions, one confidential and one not, and ask for confidentiality under section 4D of the ICASA Act.
- Send it early. The notice gives 30 working days from 28 October 2026, which by our count (weekdays only, leaving out the 4 November election public holiday) ends on about 10 December 2026. ICASA’s own news release of 29 October says “30 days”, which would be 27 November, so aim for 27 November to be safe.
For questions about the draft, the notice names Elias Letlape at ICASA on 012 568 3323 or [email protected]. Comments are made available for inspection at ICASA’s library.
Do You Need to Do Anything Now?
No. Keep using your SIMs as normal. These rules are only a draft, so they do not require anything from you yet. Keep your RICA details up to date, and never share a one-time PIN or your ID number with anyone who calls you about your SIM. Because the check would compare you with Home Affairs records, it helps to make sure your ID is valid and your details are correct. If you need a new ID, see our guide to booking at Home Affairs online.
ICASA SIM Verification Questions
Will I have to give my fingerprint to get a new SIM card in South Africa?
Under ICASA’s draft rules, yes. The network would check your fingerprint or face against Home Affairs records before it activates the number. The rules are still a draft published on 28 October 2026, and the checks would only start 12 months after the final rules are published.
Will ICASA limit how many SIM cards I can have?
The draft limits each person to five mobile numbers per network. You could still have numbers on other networks, so the limit is not five in total. The limit also applies to numbers held by companies.
Do existing SIM cards have to be verified?
Yes. Networks would have two years after the rules take effect to check all their existing customers with a fingerprint or face check against Home Affairs records. Companies are left out of this check.
How will this stop SIM swap fraud?
Before a SIM swap, the network would have to confirm with your fingerprint or face that you are the person the number belongs to. If the identity does not match its records, it must refuse the swap. Criminals often use SIM swaps to receive one-time PINs for bank accounts.
What is the deadline to comment on ICASA’s draft SIM rules?
The Gazette notice of 28 October 2026 allows 30 working days, which is about 10 December 2026 by our count. ICASA’s news release says 30 days, which would be 27 November, so it is safest to email [email protected] by 27 November 2026.
Does this replace RICA?
No. ICASA says its verification is separate from SIM registration under RICA. You would still RICA your SIM as now.
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