South Africa’s new spam call opt-out registry is almost here
South Africans tired of unwanted marketing calls could soon have a new way to stop them.
The National Consumer Commission (NCC) is preparing to launch a national opt-out registry designed to give consumers more control over who can contact them for direct marketing.
Speaking to Carol Ofori on East Coast Radio, NCC spokesperson Phetho Ndaba said the system has already been built and is almost ready to launch.
“We just need to launch it,” she explained, adding that direct marketers will be the first to register before consumers are given access to opt out.
How will South Africa’s opt-out registry work?
According to the NCC, the process will happen in stages.
Direct marketing companies will first be required to register on the system. Once enough marketers have been added, consumers will then be able to create profiles and select the companies or industries they do not want contacting them.
Simply creating a profile will not automatically block marketing communication.
Consumers will need to actively indicate which businesses or industries they want to opt out of.
The aim is to allow people to prevent unwanted calls, SMSes and other direct marketing communication before it reaches them.
Direct marketers will have to check the registry
Registration will not be optional for direct marketers.
Ndaba explained that companies are required to comply with Section 11 of the Consumer Protection Act.
Once the registry is operational, marketers will be expected to check and clean their contact lists before calling or messaging consumers.
If a company contacts someone who has already opted out, it could face investigation by the National Consumer Commission.
South Africans are being flooded with spam calls
The planned registry comes as spam calls continue to frustrate consumers across the country.
During the conversation, Carol highlighted figures indicating that South Africans received billions of spam calls during the first half of 2026, with sales and telemarketing making up a significant share.
Ndaba said South Africa is among the most spammed countries in the world and hopes the new system will help reduce unwanted communication.
Listeners were quick to share their own experiences too.
Some said they receive more than 10 spam calls a day, while others described repeatedly blocking numbers only to receive calls from slightly different ones shortly afterwards.
What does the National Consumer Commission do?
The NCC is responsible for enforcing the Consumer Protection Act and protecting consumer rights.
Consumers who believe a business has broken the law can file a complaint with the Commission at no cost.
Ndaba also confirmed that once the new opt-out system launches, consumers will be able to use the same profile to submit complaints if companies continue contacting them after they have opted out.
When will the opt-out registry launch?
An exact public launch date has not yet been announced.
However, the NCC says the system is ready, with direct marketers expected to begin registering first.
Consumers will then be told when they can create profiles and start opting out.
For South Africans who spend their days blocking unknown numbers, help could finally be on the way.
Listen to the full conversation with Carol Ofori to find out how the new system will work and what it could mean for unwanted marketing calls in South Africa.