South Africans can now take greater control of unwanted direct marketing through the National Opt-Out Registry, a free, government-administered platform launched by the National Consumer Commission (NCC) to curb unsolicited calls, SMSes and other electronic communications.
The registry gives effect to Section 11 of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA), which gives consumers the right to block unwanted direct marketing.
To enforce this right, Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau gazetted the Consumer Protection Act Amendment Regulations, 2026, empowering the NCC to administer the registry.
Speaking at the launch of the registry in Pretoria on Wednesday, Tau said South Africa ranked ninth globally for spam call intensity, with nearly 30% of calls from unknown numbers classified as spam or fraudulent.
“South Africans are becoming more alert, but alertness alone cannot substitute for a proper regulatory backstop. Scam and marketing networks are becoming more sophisticated, using spoofing and artificial intelligence to reach consumers,” Tau said.
Tau said the National Opt-Out Registry was introduced to help address the growing problem.
“Today, with the launch of this registry, we take a significant step in managing direct access marketing, and significantly curb spam calling and messaging.
“Section 14 of our Constitution guarantees everyone the right to privacy. A person's phone number, email address and time are not raw material to be harvested and traded without their consent.
“The right to refuse direct marketing is not new. Section 11(3) of the Consumer Protection Act gives every consumer the right to preemptively block unwanted direct marketing,” the Minister said.
Tau said the launch gives every South African access to a single, free, government-administered way to opt out of direct marketing.
“Once you have registered a block, direct marketers must remove you from their lists. Your registration applies, regardless of consent you may have given in the past, including consent buried in the fine print of a contract you signed years ago.
“If a marketer keeps contacting you, report it to the National Consumer Commission. Every complaint helps us enforce the law.”
Tau said that every direct marketer must register with the registry and renew the registration annually. “An unregistered marketer may not contact any consumer for direct marketing.”
Promoting responsible direct marketing
NCC Acting Commissioner Hardin Ratshisusu described the launch as a major milestone for consumers, who have long been inundated with unwanted direct marketing.
“The National Opt-Out Registry will promote responsible direct marketing, ensuring consumers are protected from unwanted direct marketing through spam calls, texts, e-mails and other electronic communication,” Ratshisusu said.
The NCC held a webinar on 24 July 2026, attended by more than 400 direct marketers.
“We took most of the recommendations into consideration, including the roll-out of the system,” Ratshisusu said.
According to Ratshisusu, South Africa joins a growing number of jurisdictions that have adopted national opt-out or 'do-not-call' registries to protect consumers from unwanted telemarketing.
According to Truecaller's 2026 South Africa Spam Report, South Africans received 17.47 billion spam calls between January and June 2026, up 25.2% from the same period in 2025.
Spam SMSes rose by 58.9% to 3.71 billion, underscoring the scale of the problem the registry is intended to address.
Under the system, direct marketers must register and cleanse their lists each month before conducting any direct marketing campaign.
This will help ensure that consumers who have blocked a direct marketer do not receive unwanted communications from that marketer.
To exercise their rights under Section 11 of the CPA, consumers must register and preemptively block direct marketers.
The registry will be introduced in phases to allow both direct marketers and consumers to register on the system.
The NCC will roll out the system in the following phases:
- Phase 1 – Registration: The system opened for direct marketers to register on 15 September 2026, and registration wcill continue until December 2026. A direct marketer that fails to register during this period may thereafter be in contravention of Section 11 of the CPA, read with the Consumer Protection Act Amendment Regulations, 2026.
- Phase 2 – List cleansing: From December 2026 to April 2027, the NCC will allow direct marketers to cleanse their marketing lists at no cost. This five-month period will help them understand the process and make the necessary preparations to interface with the system.
Once these phases are complete, consumers will be able to register with the Opt-Out Registry from May 2027 and preemptively block unwanted direct marketing.
The NCC has urged consumers and direct marketers to register with the Opt-Out Registry.
The NCC will run a sustained consumer education programme and publish further guidance for consumers and direct marketers. – SAnews.gov.za
