IN CONVERSATION WITH PHETO NTABA-SPOKESPERSON OF THE NATIONAL CONSUMER'S COMISSION(NCC)

You probably know the routine: your phone rings, you don’t recognise the number, you answer — and someone wants to sell you insurance, a funeral policy, a cellphone contract or some other product. You block the number, and then another one calls the next day. But the bigger issue isn’t just that these calls are irritating. How did these companies get your number in the first place — and what control do you actually have over your personal information? South Africa has introduced an Opt-Out Registry aimed at giving consumers greater control over unwanted direct marketing. The idea is straightforward: consumers can indicate that they do not want direct marketing, and businesses involved in direct marketing are expected to respect those preferences. But this raises some uncomfortable questions. When you enter a competition, sign up for a loyalty programme, request a quote, download an app or tick “I agree” on a website, do you actually know what you’re consenting to? And then there’s the grey area: what’s the difference between a legitimate marketing call and a scam? A caller may know your name, your cellphone provider or even some personal information about you. That can make a scam sound convincing. So while consumers are being told to protect their information, there’s another question we should be asking businesses: How are our numbers ending up in marketing databases, and who is accountable when our information is used without our permission? Today’s conversation with the National Consumer Commission is therefore about more than spam calls. It’s about consumer rights, consent, personal information and whether South Africans genuinely have the power to tell companies: “Don’t call me again.” Instagram · Twitter