Good news for South Africans who get a lot of spam calls

MTN South Africa says it observed a double-digit decrease in spam calls on its network between July 2023 and December 2024.

However, it notes that spam calls remain an industry-wide challenge against which mobile networks must strengthen their defences.

“MTN provides ongoing customer education to equip customers with the knowledge to manage spam. Through our online help channel, social media and direct messaging, we offer guidance on recognising, preventing, and managing spam,” a spokesperson for MTN SA told MyBroadband.

“While trends fluctuate, MTN continuously monitors and strengthens its defences. Between July 2023 and December 2024, according to our customer contact data, spam calls decreased by double digits.”

A Vodacom spokesperson told MyBroadband that it doesn’t monitor communication content on its network and thus cannot distinguish whether such content is spam or not.

“This would amount to unlawful interception of communication in terms of the RICA Act,” they added.

“Vodacom, however, is willing to work with the authorities in support of lawful measures to be taken to manage spam.”

Regarding its own direct marketing, the spokesperson said Vodacom has implemented permission management platforms across its channels.

These enable customers to control how the mobile operator uses their personal information for direct marketing and telesales.

Different options to opt-out from direct Vodacom marketing include:

• Opt out via VodaPay App
• Opt out via USSD 135181#
• Opt out via call centre (082-135)

MTN also lets its customers manage consent when it comes to telemarketing calls from MTN itself.

“Manage consent for MTN promotional communications by dialling *135# and selecting option 8 for Consent Management to opt-out,” it said.

Many South Africans have become frustrated with spam calls, especially when telemarketers ignore requests to be removed from their contact list.

MTN South Africa and Vodacom provided advice on what their customers should do to mitigate the frequency of spam and scam calls.

“Stay informed about the latest spam and scam tactics designed to deceive consumers and steal their hard-earned money,” MTN South Africa said.

“Avoid or be cautious when answering calls from unknown and suspicious numbers.”

MTN South Africa also recommends that customers use caller identification apps like TrueCaller to detect and block spam or fraudulent calls.

“Be cautious when sharing your mobile number and personal details in surveys, forms, or registers. Always check how personal information is being used and processed,” it added.

In addition to MTN’s recommendations, Vodacom advised that customers sign up with the Direct Marketing Association of South Africa’s (DMASA’s) “Do Not Contact” list to reduce unsolicited marketing calls.

“If a deal or SMS sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you receive an unsolicited SMS or MMS, you can report it to the Wireless Application Service Providers’ Association (WASPA),” the spokesperson added.

South Africa getting a new no-call list

The Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition (DTIC) is working to launch a new national opt-out register for direct marketers in the country.

According to Hardin Ratshisusu, the National Consumer Commission (NCC) acting commissioner, the register will give the commission full sight of all direct marketers in the country.

“The Minister of Trade and Industry has published an amendment to the current regulations. The main thing here is there now has to be a national opt-out register that will be managed by the National Consumer Commission,” he said.

“We do appreciate that there are current external registers, but there is a concern that with the existing structures and frameworks, we still have a lot of abuse of consumers.”

“We don’t have full sight of all direct marketers in the country, and this will require them to register on an annual basis,” he added.

Ratshisusu added that the department is currently developing the processes and regulations surrounding the register and registration of direct marketers.

The DTIC recently told MyBroadband that it wants to roll out the new opt-registry in the 2025/26 financial year, putting the launch some time between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026.

“This is an electronic system where customers will apply by uploading their details into the registry,” it said.

It said the registry will allow consumers to restrict or block unwanted communication from direct marketers. It said marketers must also register and clear their list of marketing leads before running a campaign.

“A cleansed consumer list will be valid for 30 days,” the department added.

Tau first proposed amending the Consumer Protection Act to launch a new opt-out registry in December 2024.