SA National Opt-Out Registry to Block Spam Calls and SMSes From May 2027
- The National Consumer Commission is rolling out a national opt-out registry to help South Africans block unsolicited marketing calls and SMSes
- South Africa ranked among the world's top ten most-spammed nations, with over 17 billion calls recorded in just the first six months of the year
- Direct marketers have until December 2026 to register on the platform before enforcement kicks in the following year
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South Africans fed up with endless spam calls and unsolicited marketing messages may finally get relief. The National Consumer Commission (NCC) is building a national opt-out registry that will allow consumers to block unwanted communications, with enforcement set to begin in May 2027.
NCC acting commissioner Hardin Ratshisusu described the situation as a crisis, telling SABC News that South Africans were being flooded with calls from unknown numbers they had no way of stopping.
"This is a crisis, as we have said in South Africa, that now consumers are being bombarded with these calls that you don't even know how to block, you don't even know who this person is calling you," he said.
Data from Truecaller showed that more than 17 billion calls were made in South Africa during the first six months of the year alone, placing the country among the world's ten most-spammed nations.
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How the opt-out registry works
The system is being rolled out in phases. Businesses must first register on the platform before consumers can effectively opt out of their marketing communications. Although consumers can already sign up, they may not yet find every company contacting them listed on the system.
Only around 800 direct marketers had joined the platform at the time of reporting, far short of the estimated 50,000 operating in the country. The NCC has set a target of 20,000 registrations during 2026, rising to roughly 40,000 by December.
The commission has given direct marketers until December 2026 to register. The period between December 2026 and April 2027 will be used to test and prepare the system before full enforcement begins in May 2027.
Ratshisusu warned that the NCC would take action against businesses that failed to comply.
"If we don't get to the desired number of direct marketers, we have to enforce the regulations," he said.
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Unknowingly consenting to spam
The commissioner also shed light on how many South Africans end up on marketing lists without realising it. When filling in forms to complete a transaction, people often tick a consent box without understanding it gives multiple companies permission to contact them.
Their details can then be passed on to call-centre agents, making it nearly impossible to trace or block the source of the calls.
The new registry is intended to cut through that complexity. Ratshisusu said opting out would be free of charge and straightforward, with no difficult admin required. The NCC aims to attract at least 30 million active users to the platform.
"From next year, we should be able to have a system, a robust system in the country, that allows you and many other consumers out there to opt out of these calls and do so without incurring any costs or without going through very difficult admin," he said.
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