(Image: Mojo/CC)
A long-awaited crackdown on unsolicited marketing calls takes place Ultimately moved from proposal to law. Finally, no more “Hello, how are you?”
And it couldn't come soon enough. For most people, receiving 5 to 10 spam calls per day has become routine, and in the first two months of 2026, South Africans received 5.38 billion spam calls.
The South African Department of Trade, Industry and Competition published regulatory amendments to the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) in the Government Gazette on 15 April 2026. For ordinary South Africans who are tired of being disturbed during dinner or being harassed by an unknown number in the middle of the afternoon, the changes are worth paying attention to.
The amendments take immediate legal effect upon publication, meaning protection is already in place. At its core, the new framework gives consumers the power to say “stop calling me,” and actually mean something. Through a national opt-out registry, you will be able to block unwanted marketing communications from a specific company or the entire direct marketing industry.
The registry for consumer and business registration opens in July, so this is the date to write the diary.
These changes stem from a process that began in 2024, partly driven by a recognized surge in unsolicited marketing. The ministry noted at the time that consumers were increasingly being bombarded with intrusive calls and messages, something many South Africans have expressed anger about online for centuries.
The regulations now place the burden directly on marketers. All businesses engaged in direct marketing must now register on the opt-out registry, renew that registration annually, and regularly clear their contact lists to remove anyone who has opted out. They are also restricted from using untraceable or anonymous channels, so hopefully those mysterious cellular numbers will soon become a thing of the past.
Businesses that ignore the rules face administrative penalties of R1 million or 10% of annual turnover, whichever is higher.
For now, the framework is live, but the registry will only open in July. When this happens, registering your opt-out should be straightforward, so seek advice from the DTIC on how to do so. In the meantime, it's worth knowing that the law is already on your side, so expect your phone to buzz a little less this year.
(Source: moonstone & cape times)