JOHANNESBURG - As South Africa continues its digital transformation, a growing debate is emerging around the role of global tech giants in our local communications landscape.

Platforms like WhatsApp, Netflix, and YouTube are consuming vast amounts of local bandwidth yet they don’t contribute a cent to the cost of maintaining or expanding the networks they rely on.

The Association of Comms and Technology , which represents independent telecom and broadband providers countrywide, says this imbalance is unsustainable and unfair to local operators footing the bill while trying to compete.