South Africa’s National Opt-Out Registry has launched, and businesses have until 15 April 2027 to register and clean up their marketing lists.
Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau said companies that break the amended Consumer Protection Act rules could be fined. The fine could be up to R1 million or 10% of annual turnover, whichever is higher.
“The numbers confirm what consumers already feel: that South Africans continue to be targeted at an alarming scale,” Tau said at a media briefing.
Tau said unwanted calls had become a daily problem for millions of people. He pointed to the Truecaller 2026 survey. It showed South Africans received about 17.47 billion spam calls between January and June 2026.
According to the survey, that was 25% more than in the same period of 2025. South Africa now ranks ninth in the world for spam call intensity, according to the latest data.
The minister said the registry is a step towards managing direct marketing and cutting down on spam calls and messages.
“Section 14 of our Constitution guarantees everyone the right to privacy. A person’s phone number, email address and time are not raw materials to be harvested and traded without their consent,” Tau said.
He said Section 11(3) of the Consumer Protection Act already gives every consumer the right to block unwanted direct marketing in advance. But he said that for 15 years this right had existed mostly on paper.
Tau said the registry does not ban electronic communication. He said marketing must still happen, but with respect for consumers.
National Consumer Commissioner Hardin Ratshisusu said the registry will be rolled out in two phases.
The first phase runs from 15 September to December 2026 and focuses on registration. Ratshisusu said businesses that do not register in this period will be breaking the Consumer Protection Act.
The second phase runs from December 2026 until April 2027. During these five months, direct marketers must clean their marketing lists.
“A successful opt-out registry requires both direct marketers and consumers to register in order to pre-emptively block unwanted direct marketing communication,” Ratshisusu said.
He said the National Consumer Commission (NCC) will run consumer education drives across the country to help people sign up.
Companies and people who want to register must visit the NCC’s website. They then click the red banner in the top right corner of the home page, which reads “e-services and OORS”. The NCC said the process takes about two and a half minutes.
Information Regulator chairperson Pansy Tlakula welcomed the registry. She said the amended rules must be read together with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).
Section 69 of POPIA generally bans unsolicited electronic direct marketing unless the consumer has agreed, with some exceptions. This means businesses will need to follow both sets of rules.
“It is our hope that these initiatives will once and for all protect consumers and data subjects against unsolicited direct marketing communications,” Tlakula said.
Tau said companies that break the law could be referred to the National Consumer Tribunal.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL. Image: IOL. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Business desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Anelisa Nkuna covers business and money news for Tzaneen Voice. Anelisa reports on the rand, fuel prices, interest rates, jobs, Eskom, Transnet, farming and company results. The aim is simple: explain what the numbers mean for household budgets, small businesses and workers in South Africa.