South Africa launches opt-out registry as spam calls top 17Bn
- South Africans received 17.47 billion spam calls from January to June.
- That was up 25.2% on the first half of 2025, Truecaller data shows.
- The NCC will enforce its opt-out registry in full from April 15, 2027.
- Fines can reach R1 million ($57,000) or 10% of annual turnover.
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA — South Africa will let consumers block unwanted direct marketing calls and texts through a national opt-out registry, with full enforcement from April 2027 as spam calls surge. Call centers and the brands that hire them have until then to clean up their contact lists.
Spam calls jump 25%
South Africans received 17.47 billion spam calls between January and June, up 25.2% on the first half of 2025, according to Truecaller data cited by BusinessDay. Spam texts rose 58.9% to 3.71 billion over the same period, as the National Consumer Commission (NCC) launched the registry.
“South Africa now ranks ninth in the world for spam call intensity, with close to 30% of calls from unknown numbers classified or fraudulent,” trade, industry and competition minister Parks Tau said at the launch. He said scam and marketing networks are using spoofing and AI to target consumers.
Consent, not a ban
Tau stressed that the government is not trying to shut down outbound marketing. “Direct marketing is a legitimate business activity. It supports jobs, including our global business services and call centre sector, which employs many young South Africans,” he said.
Marketers get five months, from December to April 2027, to cleanse their lists before registered consumers can pre-emptively block them. Contraventions can be referred to the National Consumer Tribunal, which may impose fines of up to R1 million ($57,000) or 10% of annual turnover, whichever is greater. Direct marketing has been regulated in South Africa since 2002.
Tau also put brands on notice about their vendors. “To the companies that appoint agencies and call centres to market on their behalf, make sure they are registered and compliant. It is your brand that’s on the line,” he said.
For companies running outbound campaigns in South Africa, the registry turns list hygiene into a contract issue. Buyers of telemarketing outsourcing should confirm that their contact center partners are registered, can scrub numbers against the opt-out list and can prove consent before April 2027. Firms reviewing local partners can compare the top BPO companies in South Africa.
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