South African businesses that use direct marketing will have to tighten their customer databases as the government moves to give consumers greater control over unwanted calls, SMSes and other electronic marketing.
The National Consumer Commission (NCC) launched the National Opt-Out Registry on Wednesday, introducing a central system through which consumers can pre-emptively block direct marketing communication.
The move comes as the scale of unwanted communications continues to grow.
According to Truecaller’s 2026 South Africa Spam Report, consumers received 17.47 billion spam calls between January and June this year, 25.2% more than during the same period in 2025. Spam SMSes increased by 58.9% to 3.71 billion.
The registry gives effect to Section 11 of the Consumer Protection Act, which provides consumers with the right to block unwanted direct marketing.
Businesses face new compliance
Direct marketers must register on the registry and cleanse their marketing lists every month before running a campaign. This means businesses will have to check their databases against the registry and remove consumers who have blocked their communications.
NCC spokesperson Phetho Ntaba said the obligation extends to businesses that may otherwise continue operating without registering.
“Register and not comply, or do not register at all – that would be that they would have contravened the Consumer Protection Act,” Ntaba said ahead of the launch.
He said the NCC could issue compliance notices, investigate complaints and take non-compliant businesses to the National Consumer Tribunal. Criminal charges could also be pursued as a last resort under the Consumer Protection Act.
The registry is being introduced in phases.
Direct marketers have been able to register since 15 September, with the first phase running until December 2026. The NCC will then give businesses five months, from December to April 2027, to cleanse their marketing databases and prepare to interface with the system at no cost.
From May 2027, consumers who have registered on the system will be able to pre-emptively block direct marketers.
What it means for small businesses
The changes are particularly relevant to businesses that depend on telephone, SMS or email marketing to generate sales and reach customers.
Companies will need to build the registry into their marketing processes rather than treating an opt-out request as something that can be handled manually after a campaign has already been conducted.
Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau said registered marketers would have to renew their registration annually and cleanse their lists against the registry every month before running campaigns.
He also said marketing communication would have to be traceable to the business, including its name, address and contact number.
Tau stressed that the regulations do not amount to a ban on direct marketing.
“Direct marketing is a legitimate business activity,” he said, pointing to its role in supporting jobs, including in the global business services and call-centre sector.
“We want this sector to grow. We support this sector to grow, but it must grow on the basis of consent and respect,” Tau said.
For businesses, this means legitimate marketing can continue, but companies will have to demonstrate greater control over who they contact and ensure their campaigns comply with consumers’ opt-out preferences.
For consumers, the NCC says the registry provides a central mechanism to exercise a right that already exists under the Consumer Protection Act.
NCC Acting Commissioner Hardin Ratshisusu said the registry would promote responsible direct marketing and protect consumers from unwanted calls, texts, emails and other electronic communication.
