{
  "id": 12899569,
  "title": "South Africa targets 17.5 billion spam calls with new registry",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/south-africa-targets-17-5-billion-spam-calls-with-new-registry",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-08T15:35:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechCabal",
    "slug": "techcabal",
    "url": "https://techcabal.com/2026/10/08/south-africa-spam-calls/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "South Africa's spam calls surpassed 17.5 billion in the first half of 2026, prompting the government to introduce a National Opt-Out Registry. The new system aims to force companies to verify their call lists before sending out messages. The National Consumer Commission (NCC) launched the registry, which will require marketers to register and cleanse their lists monthly. Fintechs, banks, telcos, insurers, retailers, and other digital businesses must integrate consumer opt-outs into their marketing systems. According to Truecaller's 2026 South Africa Spam Report, spam calls increased by 25.2% compared to the same period in 2025, and spam SMS messages rose by 58.9%. South African Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, emphasized that the growing complexity of spam and scams necessitates a stronger regulatory response. The opt-out registry enforces Section 11 of the Consumer Protection Act, which grants consumers the right to block unwanted direct marketing. Tau believes the issue pertains to data and privacy, as more companies use personal information to reach potential customers. Companies have until December 2026 to register and five months to clean their marketing lists. Consumers can block pre-emptive calls starting May 2027. The NCC aims to promote responsible direct marketing and protect consumers from spam calls, texts, emails, and other electronic communication.",
  "summary": "The registry is part of a sweeping government effort to tackle South Africa’s growing spam-call problem.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}