Primary briefing · Gazette
high impact 55438 · 2026-09-25
WOAN Spectrum Reservation Withdrawn; IPILRA Extended to December 2027
Effective from
25 Sept 2026
Government Gazette 55438 publishes the final policy amendment under the Electronic Communications Act withdrawing the Wireless Open Access Network (WOAN) high-demand spectrum reservation with immediate effect, opening that spectrum for licensing by ICASA through ordinary processes. The same gazette extends the Interim Protection of Informal Land Rights Act (IPILRA) for a further 12 months ending 31 December 2027, maintaining statutory protections over informal land rights for all commercial dealings. Additional notices include a SARS extension of the date to request reduced or additional assessments under section 95(6) of the Tax Administration Act, proposed Health Professions Act regulations redefining the scope of the medical technology profession (three-month comment period), and Competition Tribunal merger approvals.
Who is affected
Telecommunications operators and prospective spectrum licenseesTelecoms investors and infrastructure fundsICASA and spectrum policy advisorsProperty developers and conveyancers dealing with informal land rightsHolders of informal land rightsLand reform and rural development practitioners What this means for practitioners
Telecoms clients should reassess spectrum acquisition strategies immediately — high-demand spectrum is now available for ordinary ICASA licensing without the WOAN reservation constraint
Property and development teams must continue applying IPILRA protections to all transactions involving informal land rights through 31 December 2027
Tax practitioners should note the SARS extension for section 95(6) assessment requests and confirm revised deadlines with clients
Health law practitioners should diarise the three-month comment deadline (approximately 25 December 2026) for the proposed medical technology scope regulations