Telecom

Covid-19: No lockdown for telecom workers in South Africa

Covid-19: No lockdown for telecom workers in South Africa
Wednesday, 25 March 2020 12:55

On the night of March 23, the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, announced a nationwide lockdown of 21 days effective midnight on Thursday 26 March, ending on April 16th, 2020, to limit the propagation of covid-19 in the country. But the Minister of Trade and Industry, Ebrahim Patel (pictured) says telecom workers are not strictly included in the decision.

We regard digital infrastructure as a critical service and will ensure that both fixed-line and mobile telephony systems are maintained during South Africa’s 21-day lockdown,” he said.

Workers and professionals connected with any of those services will be exempted from the lockdown because those are critical means of communication, and also (to provide for) economic activity that can be done from home,” he added.

Since the closure of schools and universities, and the ban on meetings, connectivity consumption has jumped across the country and some telecom operators such as MTN have lowered the cost of Internet bundles.

On the same topic
• Mozambican government and Huawei considering the construction of a local mobile phone factory catered to rural needs • Special features for rural...
• Djibouti adopts new digital code to accelerate digital transformation, with focus on data protection, cybersecurity, and e-commerce. • The move aligns...
This successful bond sale not only reinforces AXIAN Telecom’s financial strength but also signals growing investor confidence in African digital...
• Experts at Cyber Africa Forum 2025 stress consumer education to fight cyber threats• Social engineering scams, phishing, and money mule schemes are...
Most Read
01

• Maritime sector faces renewed risks amid military tensions in the Middle East• Blockade fears at S...

Israel-Iran conflict raises new threats for global shipping and oil trade
02

Lebara Group is now bringing its affordable and reliable mobile services to Africa, starting with Ni...

Telecoms: Lebara Enters Nigerian Market with Strong Competitive Ambitions
03

• Google unveils Veo 3, its latest AI tool for ultra-realistic video generation• Experts warn deepfa...

Deepfake Threat Becomes Alarming in Africa as AI Advances Faster Than Laws
04

In a West African financial landscape marked by tighter regulation of the fintech sector, digital fi...

In Five Years, Francophone Africa Will be A Major Force in African Tech –Régis Bamba
05

• Gates Foundation commits $1.6 billion over five years to Gavi.• Bill Gates warns of rising ch...

Gates Foundation Pledges $1.6 Billion to Gavi to Boost Global Child Vaccination
Enter your email to receive our newsletter

Ecofin Agency provides daily coverage of nine key African economic sectors: public management, finance, telecoms, agribusiness, mining, energy, transport, communication, and education.
It also designs and manages specialized media, both online and print, for African institutions and publishers.

SALES & ADVERTISING

Benjamin FLAUX
bf@agenceecofin.com 
Téls: +41 22 301 96 11 
Mob: +41 78 699 13 72
Média kit : Download

EDITORIAL
redaction@agenceecofin.com

More information
Team
Publisher

ECOFIN AGENCY

Mediamania Sarl
Rue du Léman, 6
1201 Geneva
Switzerland

 

Ecofin Agency is a sector-focused economic news agency, founded in December 2010. Its web platform was launched in June 2011. ©Mediamania.

 
 

Please publish modules in offcanvas position.