By reducing the number of SIM cards distributed each year, South Africa’s telecommunications industry could prevent nearly 190 tonnes of plastic waste annually. That’s the finding of Securi-Tech, a company involved in SIM security and packaging, which estimates that at least 200 million SIM cards, nearly four per adult, are produced and distributed across the country every year.
But plastic is just part of the problem. South Africa is awash in SIM cards, many of which are not correctly registered and are not linked to the actual user of the card. This complicates and frustrates law enforcement efforts when tracing suspects who may have used mobile phones in the commission of crimes.
If mobile operators were to reduce distribution to 50 million SIM cards annually, and use PET plastic to package them, a more widely recycled plastic, the country could not only save almost 190 tonnes of plastic but also curb criminal abuse associated with millions of unregistered pre-paid SIMs released each year.
At present, an estimated 60 million unregistered or improperly registered pre-paid SIM cards are released into the South African market each year. These are often distributed by third-party agents who earn commission from airtime linked to each activated card, creating an incentive to push as many as possible into the system.
The plastic from these cards, usually made of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), is a non-biodegradable plastic not commonly recycled, with each card weighing 1.83 grams. That translates to approximately 366 tonnes of ABS plastic entering the waste stream annually. But 50,000 SIM cards being distributed would only equal 91.5 tons on ABS plastic, with an additional 88.5 tonnes of PET packaging equating to a total of 180 000 tons.
Thats a lot less than the 366 tonnes in total saving almost 190 tonnes of plastic. Many of these SIMs are used once and discarded. Others remain in circulation without accurate user information even as the law requires each card to be linked to a specific user. The result is both a plastic crisis and a legal one: South Africa’s Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act (Rica) is not being enforced in registration of cards and is being circumvented.
Rica is intended to ensure that SIM cards are registered to users and their identity document retained allowing law enforcement to trace criminal activity or the user of a phone when investigating a crime. But a loophole in Section 40, which allows SIM transfers between individuals, such as a parent activating a card for a child, has been exploited by third-party distributors. These agents register themselves as “customers” and bulk-activate cards often using fake 13-digit ID numbers, reselling them to end-users who may be unaware they need to update their registration details as legally required and seldom do so.
This legal workaround results in millions of SIMs not linked to a verified identity. Closing this loophole, and applying stricter controls on third-party distribution, could drastically cut down the flood of anonymous cards entering the system.
Another issue is SIM cards are often distributed “naked”, without any secure or packaging, exposing sensitive data such as the SIM cards unique identifying information and making it easier for criminals to clone cards.
A cloned SIM card poses is easier to use in crimes but also poses risks to customers whose card may be cloned and who use banking apps on their phone as it can allow for interception of two-factor authentication used by banks and allows for fraud.
Tamperproof packaging would make it harder to clone SIMs and easier to link them to verified users as it would stop the bulk registration of cards to fake so-called identity numbers.
It will add around 88.5 tonnes of plastic to the 91 tonnes of ABS to reach a total of 190 tonnes of plastic, but, unlike ABS, PET is recyclable and widely accepted in local recycling streams. The proposal to stop excess SIM cards that are not properly registered doesn’t stop at packaging. Linking SIM registration to the Department of Home Affairs database and implementing biometric verification, such as fingerprints, would increase security and reduce fraud.
Countries including India, Egypt, Ghana, Malawi and Nigeria, all populous and developing countries, have managed to implement biometric solutions linking user’s national ID, fingerprints or facial images to their SIM cards.
Matching the list of ID numbers used in SIM cards to the Home Affairs database is also something proposed in parliament by telecommunications industry bodies who recognise the need for better enforcement of Rica.
When it comes to fighting plastic waste, some in the telecommunications industry argue that eSIMs offer a greener solution. But manufacturing eSIMs requires more energy and materials than normal SIM cards. And because they’re soldered onto the device, a malfunction with the SIM card or battery near them often means replacing the whole motherboard, if not the entire phone increasing accelerating e-waste and shortening device life spans. A damaged plastic SIM, by contrast, can be replaced in seconds. eSIMS do not make life greener but increase the risk of discarding phones and adding waste to the system.
The bigger picture is clear: South Africa has an opportunity to become a global leader in sustainable mobile communication. A shift to fewer, better-packaged SIMs could reduce waste, increase security, and improve compliance with national laws. It would also make financial sense. Telecommunications companies currently spend millions on overproduction, driven in part by the pressure to maintain high subscriber numbers for financial reporting. Reducing unnecessary distribution would free up resources, while boosting their environmental credentials.
Intent alone isn’t enough. If mobile operators are serious about sustainability, they must take measurable steps to curb plastic waste and tighten SIM registration. The technology is available. The economics make sense. What’s needed now is regulatory reform, and a commitment to pull unnecessary SIs, and tonnes of plastic, out of circulation.
- Mohamed Hassim. CIO of Securi-Tech*
- *-Securi-Tech SA is a firm that provides for the encoding, personalisation and security of SIM cards.
