Google ordered to pay South African media up to R500 million annually

South Africa’s Competition Commission has ruled that tech giant Google must pay local news media between R300 million and R500 million annually to address lost advertising revenue and competition imbalances. The decision follows an inquiry that found Google benefits from South African news content by as much as R900 million per year, while local media houses suffer losses ranging from R300 million to R500 million.

In addition to financial compensation, Google and other digital platforms must implement changes to ensure a fairer competitive environment. These measures include removing search biases that favor foreign media, ceasing the deprioritization of news content on social media feeds, and improving monetization opportunities for publishers.

The ruling has sparked discussions in Namibia, where similar challenges exist. Paulus Hangula, Director of the Enforcement and Cartels Division at the Namibia Competition Commission, noted that while Namibia’s current legal framework does not provide for soft regulations like market inquiries, legislative amendments are underway to introduce such mechanisms.

“It’s a good move in terms of what the South African Competition Commission has done,” Hangula stated. “Here in Namibia, our current law does not necessarily provide for market inquiries, but we hope that with the amendments we are working on, we will have those types of powers.”

The South African ruling could set a precedent for regulatory changes in Namibia, as media stakeholders push for greater accountability from global tech platforms.