In South Africa, drones present an opportunity to reimagine mobility but only if regulation keeps up.
This was the word from professor Filippo Tomasello, a global expert on drone regulation and safety, who yesterday delivered the plenary address at the 43rd Annual Southern African Transport Conference.
In 2015, South Africa was seen as a leader in comprehensive drone law when it became one of the first countries to regulate non-military drones.
But Tomasello warns that rules made 10 years ago cannot keep pace with modern drone technology.
Currently, he said, no African state is a member of ISO TC20/SC16, the global standards committee for drones, which means Africa has limited influence over the rules shaping the future of the industry.
Africa has unique operating environments and uses cases – from rural agricultural needs, to advanced public safety deployments. If African economies don’t have a voice at the table, this is a missed opportunity, industry experts agree.
“Membership would allow us and other African nations to contribute to standards that reflect local needs and challenges, fostering innovation and ensuring regulatory relevance,” says Kopano Tholo, drone expert at ITOO Special Risks.
‘Unpolished proxy for risk’
Industry players say local regulations have not been updated to reflect advancements in drone technology and changing international standards.
In South Africa, for example, drone regulations are weight-based, with different rules applying to drones under and over 7kg.
The industry players note that rather than solely relying on factors like drone weight, regulators across other geographies are increasingly focusing on the risk a drone poses to people on the ground.
This shift toward a risk-based framework is long overdue and aligns more closely with real-world operations, explains Tholo.
“Drones today are smarter, safer and more purpose-driven. Moving beyond weight-based classifications to focus on operational risk will open the door for smarter use cases, while ensuring the necessary safety controls remain in place.”
Tholo fully supports this shift, particularly from an insurance perspective, describing weight alone as an unpolished proxy for risk. “Today’s drones come with built-in redundancies, obstacle avoidance systems and advanced autonomy, meaning a lighter drone can still be high risk and a heavier drone, properly managed, can be operated safely,” he adds.
The sector has seen major commercial uptake in recent years, say James Ramotlou, DJI business development manager at Rectron, and Ruan Botha, Rectron product manager.
They point out that drones are now used across various industries, such as mining, healthcare and security, and for things like infrastructure inspections and emergency response. But the regulatory environment in SA hasn’t kept up.
“While the 2015 regulations were groundbreaking at the time, they are now too rigid and administratively taxing,” adds Tholo.
Class-based regulation
Tomasello suggests that to stay competitive, South Africa should divide the industry into different drone classes to allow for a more nuanced regulatory framework.
Ramotlou and Botha support this: “Categorising drones by operational class allows for more targeted licensing, training and certification. Not every drone should require the same level of red tape.
“Class-based regulation would streamline operations for approved entities, while helping more small businesses participate legally and safely in the drone economy.”
They explain that this would mean a farmer, using crop-spraying drones on a remote farm, won’t be subjected to the same regulatory requirements as an operator doing surveying in a populated area.
Additionally, if drones are to become more commonplace, integrating aerial mobility into daily life is a must, says Tomasello.
“South Africa is lagging in urban planning integration and public engagement around aerial mobility,” says Tholo. “Our regulations still focus on basic operational safety rather than broader societal impacts. We need clearer frameworks for drone corridors, Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management, and data-sharing standards between airspace users and local control stations.”
Ramotlou and Botha, agree: “South Africa has the talent and the tech, now we need the vision and planning integration to match. More active collaboration between departments, drone providers and the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) will be key to making this a reality.”
Needing to be constantly in touch with technological advancements on drones is a global challenge, as all regulators and users have to be aligned with modern standards, says Sisa Majola, communications manager at the SACAA.
“The SACAA is no different to the rest of the world with ensuring we are up to standard with the latest technology and international best practices on unmanned aircraft systems. South Africa’s drone regulations are being reviewed and amended continuously to align with global regulatory and industry developments.”
The SACAA participates at international level on drone regulation development through its membership of the ICAO RPAS Panel and the Joint Authorities for Rulemaking on Unmanned Systems, Majola adds.
The SACAA is also training all staff members in order for them to be up to standard with the latest trends and global standards.
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