Membership
Apply for ISPA membership
You can apply for ISPA membership by clicking here. However before you do so, please ensure that you have read the membership application guidelines below, which explain the basic requirements for membership, the categories and fee structure. For more information on why to join ISPA, please see Key ISPA Membership Benefits.
Process
Once you have completed and submitted the membership form to the ISPA Secretariat, the application will be subjected to a cursory inspection to ensure that the basic requirements are met.
Thereafter you will be billed an application fee equivalent to a three-month membership fee. Once the payment has been received you will be placed in a provisional category and requested to do the following:
- Comply with the ISPA Code of Conduct: a user name and password will be provided to access an online portal. All new members are expected to comply fully with ISPA’s Code within thirty days of notification of being placed in the provisional category. ISPA provides an online wizard to assist with the compliance process but prospective members must note that several of the compliance requirements involve making documents (privacy policy, acceptable use policy, etc.) available on the member’s web site. ISPA is a recognised industry representative body in terms of Section 71 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, 2002 and compliance is therefore mandatory.
- Ensure that you have sufficient information on your web site to indicate that you offer relevant Internet services.
During this period, you will receive limited information from ISPA. We will however make every effort to assist you in becoming compliant.
After 30-days have passed, your company’s level of compliance will be assessed and a reminder sent to the primary contact person within your organisation.
If you have not complied fully with the ISPA Code within a three-month period, your application will be declined and removed from the provisional category. In addition the application fee paid will be forfeited.
If you however comply within this period, then no membership fee will be charged for the ensuing three-months and your application will then be sent to ISPA’s Operations Committee for ratification. The final stage of the approval process takes approximately 2-3 working days.
There are Four Categories of ISPA Membership:
Small membership
This category is intended for new companies, still getting established in the Internet services market, SMME service providers, or companies that do not have Internet services as their main focus, but provide them ancillary to other services.
Medium membership
This category is intended for established Internet service providers and companies that are no longer SMMEs or start-up businesses. These companies provide services to a significant section of the market.
- If a member employs more than 20 staff to provide Internet services (or support for staff providing Internet services), then they should be at least a Medium member, or,
- if a member maintains offices in more than one province, then they should be at least a Medium member, or,
- if a member’s market share in any market segment is sufficient to place the member in the top twenty service providers for that market segment, the member should be at least a Medium member.
- If a member is generating more than 10 consumer queries for ISPA per year, the member must upgrade to at least a Medium member.
Large membership
This category is intended for major operators in any Internet market segment and companies that have extended the reach of their services nationally.
- If a member employs more than 50 staff to provide Internet services (or support for staff providing Internet services), then they should be at least a Large member, or,
- if a member’s market share in any market segment is sufficient to place the member in the top five service providers for that market segment, the member should be at least a Large member.
- If a member is generating more than 50 consumer queries for ISPA per year, the member must upgrade to at least a Large member.
Backbone membership
This category is intended for companies that operate sections of the nation’s backbone Internet infrastructure. A member that has a strong long-term commitment to supporting the Internet industry and a significant national presence should consider choosing the Backbone member category.
Notes:
- For the purpose of these guidelines, market segments are considered to be: wholesale access, fixed line consumer access, mobile or wireless consumer access, business access, and hosting services.
- For the purpose of these guidelines, consumer queries include take-down notices, consumer mediation requests and formal Code of Conduct complaints.
- For the purpose of counting consumer queries, a Large or Backbone member of ISPA may nominate one subsidiary or related company that is a Medium or Small member and have that company’s queries counted against its total.
Voting versus non-voting members
Anyone providing Internet services in South Africa may apply for ISPA membership. Membership is divided into voting and non-voting categories, depending on the nature of the applicant’s activities within the Internet ecosystem.
Voting Members
Voting membership is reserved for organisations whose core business involves providing Internet access or operating Internet infrastructure in South Africa.
Key Points:
- Must be actively providing Internet access services or operating Internet infrastructure
- Each voting member has equal voting rights
- Eligibility is assessed by ISPA
- In cases of uncertainty, the ISPA Board makes the final determination at its sole discretion
Non-Voting Members
Non-voting membership is available to individuals or organisations that are active in the Internet industry but do not meet the criteria for voting membership.
Examples include:
- Individuals providing Internet consulting services
- Internet security, cryptography, authentication, or certification providers
- Website or online content developers
- Internet training providers
Special Case:
Entities that provide Internet access or infrastructure as an adjunct to another business (for example, Wi-Fi hotspot hosts) may choose to apply as either voting or non-voting members, provided they submit suitable motivation.
Membership Fees
| Membership category | Excl. VAT | VAT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (monthly) | R 965.00 | R 144.75 | R 1,109.75 |
| Medium (monthly) | R 3,800.00 | R 570.00 | R 4,370.00 |
| Large (monthly) | R 14,250.00 | R 2,137.50 | R 16,387.50 |
| Backbone (monthly) | R 24,400.00 | R 3,660.00 | R 28,060.00 |
Discount structure for annual fees paid in advance:
- Small members may apply a 15% discount to the total annual amount if payment is made within 30-days of receipt of the invoice
- Medium, Large and Backbone members may apply a 5% discount to the total annual amount if payment is made within 30-days of receipt of the invoice
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact the Secretariat at: queries@ispa.org.za or on 010 226 9516.
Code of Conduct Compliance
In terms of ISPA’s Code of Conduct, new members of ISPA have 30 days from the date of acceptance of their membership application to become compliant with the ISPA Code of Conduct.
ISPA provides an online wizard to assist with this process, but prospective members must please note that several of the compliance requirements involve making documents (privacy policy, acceptable use policy, etc.) available on the member’s web site.
Thus, ISPA requires that organisations applying for membership must have a functioning web site when they submit their application for membership.
