New amateur radio licence fees for SA

On Friday 27 August, South Africa's regulator, ICASA, published the new licence fee structure in the Government Gazette no 33 495.

The minimum fee for any radio licence is R120. The new fee structure will become effective on 1 April 2011, at the start of ICASA's financial year. All licenses in the amateur radio service will cost R120 per annum from that date.

On 29 April 2009, the South African Radio League (SARL) submitted a memorandum to ICASA objecting to the proposed increases and argued that it would not be in the interest of retired persons and the youth. However, ICASA declined the SARL proposals for lower fees. Putting the new fee in perspective, it is well within the average inflation figure of the past 25 years, amounting to less than 8% per annum increase.

From 1 April the following licenses will increase to R120 per annum:
. ZU, ZR and ZS licenses
. Beacon licence
. Change of call sign request
. Special event licence
. Listener licence
. Repeater station including radio link
. Digipeater/bulletin board
. Experimental station for weather satellite reception and retransmission.

There is a discount for advance payments as follows:
If the licence is paid 2 years in advance it will cost R240;
3 years R329; 4 years R419 and 5 years R500.

South African Radio League
www.sarl.org.za