Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams

The department of communications & digital technologies has embarked on a process to merge some of its entities in line with a plan to rationalise state entities.

Signal distributor Sentech will be merged with Broadband Infraco to form one state broadband infrastructure company. Domain name authority Zadna, the Film and Publications Board and communications regulator Icasa will merge to form one regulator.

“The Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa will be repurposed to establish a state-owned digital fund company,” the ministry of communications & digital technologies said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the minister, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, has met with board chairs and CEOs of the respective entities of her department. The meeting followed a performance agreement that was signed between the minister and President Cyril Ramaphosa last month, to ensure that the department and its entities deliver on key targets.

The chairs and CEOs have pledged their support in ensuring that the Minister meets all the targets agreed on in the performance discussion with the president.

“There is an undertaking that the board chairpersons and CEOs of the respective entities will work closely to leverage on each other’s strengths, and collaborate on key projects to avoid duplication. I must add that their commitment was quite encouraging,” Ndabeni-Abrahams said.