South African digital platforms need testing grounds to speed innovation

South African authorities should introduce regulatory ‘sandboxes’, or controlled testing grounds, to spur innovation in the country’s growing digital platform sector, according to tech investor Naspers (NPNJn.J) and research firm MISTRA.

A “sandbox” allows testing of new services in the market, but within a controlled regulatory environment without having to undergo a costly and lengthy full authorization process first.

In recent years, e-commerce and digital services such...