Given its upcoming operational pause on 28 February 2026, video relay services (VRS) provider Convo South Africa has urged the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies to promptly implement the “social compact” referenced in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2026 State of the Nation Address (Sona).
Image credit: Convo South Africa
Convo South Africa says the pause in its operations directly challenges the president’s promises.
“While President Ramaphosa committed to an inclusive digital economy where 'no one is left behind,' the impending blackout for 22,000 Deaf citizens on 28 February reveals a systemic failure to translate Sona rhetoric into legislative action regarding who pays for accessibility,” it said in a statement.
Stark contrast
In South Africa, Convo has handled over 22,000 conversations since 2022, facilitating emergency ambulance calls to job interviews.
It says that despite the Deaf community’s demand for its services, the current funding ecosystem in South Africa is unfavourable to international counterparts.
Chelsea Williamson, general manager of Convo South Africa, highlights the stark contrast between South Africa and the other regions where Convo operates, including the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.
“As the general manager of Convo, I have the unique vantage point of seeing how access is handled globally versus locally,” says Williamson.
“In the United Kingdom, for example, the Access to Work scheme provides a government grant to persons with disabilities (PWDs).
“A Deaf person can use that grant to pay for their own interpreters or communication support.
"The power is in their hands, and the funding is guaranteed by the state.”
Digital inclusion?
Williamson asks why the government’s push for digital inclusion excludes the country’s Deaf community.
“In light of the 2026 Sona, we must ask why the government’s vision for digital transformation excludes the 1.5 million South Africans who use Sign Language.
“We have world-class legislation on paper and a president who speaks of dignity, but the implementation is flawed.
“We operate in a grey area where corporates often believe PWDs should pay for their own access, or they view accessibility as a ‘charity’ item rather than a compliance requirement.
“Without a centralised funding mechanism, like the UK model, accessibility services cannot survive solely on private sector goodwill,” pleads Williamson.
According to Convo, South Africa’s Constitution and the Code for Persons with Disabilities mandate reasonable accommodation.
However, it says, there is a critical lack of oversight regarding financial liability.
Currently, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) mandates accessibility but has not enforced a clear, centralised funding model.
Convo argues that this policy gap directly contradicts the Sona 2026 mandate to “lower the cost of living and increase digital access for the vulnerable”.
Inconsistent solutions
It says that currently, the fragmented landscape forces mobile network operators (MNOs) to implement inconsistent solutions, leaving Deaf users isolated.
“We have seen that when accessibility is left to market forces without clear regulatory enforcement on who pays, the Deaf consumer suffers,” Williamson adds.
“We need to move away from fragmented corporate contracts toward a universal service model, potentially funded by a nominal levy on all subscribers, ensuring access is a right, not a luxury.”
The service provider is now calling for a review of funding mechanisms for video relay services to align with the president’s stated goals.
“The goal must be to align South Africa with international best practices, moving from ambiguous voluntary compliance to enforced, state-supported funding frameworks like those successfully implemented in the UK and Australia,” it says.
In the meantime, to potentially resume services in the future, Convo’s leadership is seeking long-term partners and funding solutions.
