Minister of Communications Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri released her ministerial directives in September 2004, which, among other things, legalised voice over internet protocol (VOIP).

VOIP officially became legal on 1 February 2005 and the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) issued 087 number ranges to the Value-Added Network Service (VANS) providers in November 2005. At the time of writing, progress had been slow at best, but at least it has been made.