AFRINIC Crisis

The Digital Council Africa (DCA) and Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) have been providing regular updates on the situation to the community.

2025-04 April 2025 AFRINIC crisis meeting
2025-07 July 2025 update

Background

AFRINIC is the regional internet registry for Africa, and the sole source of numbering resources for network operators on the continent. For much of the last decade, AFRINIC has been embroiled in lawsuits and allegations of corruption, and it has not had a functioning Board or CEO since 2023. AFRINIC was placed under receivership in 2023 by the Mauritian courts.

Numbering resources underpin every internet network in the world. If AFRINIC collapses entirely, or if the organisation is dominated by Board members who do not have the interests of African network operators at heart, there is a very real risk that the cost of deploying networks across the continent will increase. A complete collapse could place the existing database of resource allocations at risk.

Stay informed

ISPA and the DCA will continue to provide updates on the AFRINIC situation to South African stakeholders through our partner organisations, and we will share information on participating in the new election as soon as it is available. If you would like to receive future updates on this topic directly, please contact secretariat@ispa.org.za with “Send me AFRINIC updates” in the subject line, and we will add you to a mailing list for direct updates. By sending that email, you are granting permission for ISPA/DCA to send you updates on AFRINIC. You can unsubscribe yourself at any time, and we will only use your address for the purposes of sharing information about AFRINIC.