{
  "id": 14124894,
  "title": "National Opt-Out Registry launched to curb South Africa’s spam calls",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/national-opt-out-registry-launched-to-curb-south-africas-spam-calls",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-13T05:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/mercury/news/2026-10-13-national-opt-out-registry-launched-to-curb-south-africas-spam-calls/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The National Consumer Commission in South Africa has introduced a National Opt-Out Registry to tackle the issue of spam calls and messages that have surged by 25.2% in the first half of 2026. The free, government-run registry aims to enable consumers to pre-emptively block direct marketing under the Consumer Protection Act, but registration won't be possible until May 2027. Trade Minister Parks Tau highlighted that the act granting this right to consumers has been on paper for 15 years without a central registry for them to exercise it. The rise in spam calls, reaching 17.47 billion in the first half of 2026, has eroded consumer confidence and led to a decline in answered spam calls from 10.2% in 2025 to 7.8% this year. The registry will be implemented in two phases, first for businesses to register from September 15, 2026, and then for consumers to block marketers from May 2027. Businesses have until December 2026 to cleanse their marketing lists against the registry, and consumers can pre-emptively block marketers from May 2027. Non-compliance may result in fines of up to R1 million or 10% of annual turnover, and the NCC will enforce the law starting April 15, 2027.",
  "summary": "South Africa’s National Consumer Commission has launched a free opt-out registry, but consumers will only be able to block direct marketers from May 2027 after businesses complete registration and database cleansing.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Mail and Guardian",
        "title": "South Africa’s supplement crackdown risks R22bn health industry",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/south-africas-supplement-crackdown-risks-r22bn-health-industry",
        "published": "2026-10-13T04:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}