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How to get licensed: South Africa
Official procedure
- Prepare for and register for the South African Radio League's Radio Amateur Examination (RAE); Class A is the general route, and a Class B novice route has an age limit. Official procedure [7]
- Complete the practical HF assessment and pass the RAE; receive the SARL certificates. Official procedure [7]
- From the October 2026 RAE onward, register on the ICASA portal and submit your own amateur licence application with the certificates, then pay ICASA's application and licence charges. Official procedure [7]
- Licensing authority
- Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA)
- Cost
- For the October 2026 RAE, SARL lists R500 for Class A or R450 for Class B. ICASA application and spectrum-licence charges are additional and paid directly to ICASA; SARL reported a R202 one-year spectrum licence for 2026/27, but the total first-time ICASA application charge was not verified. [7] [9]
- Processing time
Official timeframe: The SARL runs the Radio Amateur Examination twice a year, in May and October (next: 10 October 2026, then May 2027). After marking, successful candidates who have also done the HF assessment receive their SARL certificates; no delivery time is stated. [7]
No qualifying applicant report was found.
- Additional requirements
- The RAE is typically held twice per year, in May and October; the required practical HF assessment must also be completed. [8]
- National amateur radio organization
- South African Radio League (SARL)
CEPT and visiting operators
This is not a CEPT member, but it implements T/R 61-01 for eligible visiting operators. Check the licence class and host rules; residents still follow the local licensing steps above. [6] [5]