South Africa: Communications and Digital Technologies Committee to Host Roundtable on Podcasting

The Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies will host a roundtable with podcasters and key stakeholders on 24 March 2026 under the theme: “A Multi Stakeholder Dialogue on Podcasting: Legislators, Policymakers, Regulators, Podcasters, and Industry Stakeholders Charting Balanced Regulation for Sustainable Growth, and Strong Accountability”.

The roundtable comes amid the rapid growth of podcasting in South Africa, driven by increased smartphone usage, wider internet access and a dynamic creator economy. As podcasts continue to reach wider audiences across news, culture and community-focused programming, questions have emerged about how existing regulatory frameworks apply to on-demand audio content distributed over the open internet.

The committee Chairperson, Ms Khusela Sangoni-Diko, said that the engagement is intended to provide a constructive platform for dialogue between Parliament, regulators, creators, platforms and civil society.

“Podcasting represents one of the most exciting developments in South Africa’s digital content ecosystem. It has opened space for diverse voices, languages and perspectives, while creating new opportunities for innovation and economic participation,” said Ms Diko.

She further said that the roundtable would help clarify how public-interest protections can be balanced with the need to nurture a growing creative sector.

Participants will include representatives from the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, regulators, independent podcasters, digital platforms, legal experts, civil society organisations and academic institutions. Discussions will focus on how podcasts fit within the existing legal framework, possible co-regulatory models, mechanisms for handling complaints and measures to expand opportunities for local creators.

Ms Diko said that the committee hopes the engagement will produce clear and actionable outcomes to guide future policy considerations. “Our intention is not to stifle creativity, but to ensure that as the sector grows, it does so within a framework that supports innovation, protects the public interest and expands participation in South Africa’s digital economy,” she said.

The roundtable is expected to produce a report outlining consensus points, areas for further work and recommended next steps for policymakers, regulators and industry stakeholders.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.