South Africa: Consumer Law

The National Consumer Commission has published draft guidelines on compliance with opt-out requirements, with important implications for all businesses that conduct direct marketing in South Africa.

South Africa's National Consumer Commission Opt-Out Registry introduces a dual compliance framework that requires organisations to satisfy both POPIA's personal information processing requirements and the CPA's pre-emptive marketing blocks. Businesses must fundamentally restructure their technology, data management, and operational processes to prevent prohibited marketing communications from reaching consumers who have exercised their right to opt out.

As artificial intelligence shopping agents evolve from simple search tools to autonomous purchasing assistants, South African businesses face critical questions about data collection, consumer protection, and legal responsibility that existing frameworks like POPIA were never designed to address. How should organisations navigate AI disclosure requirements, handle voluntarily shared sensitive information, and establish governance protocols when their chatbots can independently compare products, personalise

The Financial Sector Conduct Authority ("FSCA") and the Prudential Authority ("PA") released a first of its kind report on the use of artificial intelligence ("AI") in the South African financial sector on 24 November 2025...

This case involved an application for summary judgment by a credit provider. The dispute arose from an instalment sale agreement signed on 1 August 2023 to finance a motor vehicle.

Over the past few years, consumer interest in certain "better-for-you" foods has surged. Google search interest in sourdough spiked globally during the COVID pandemic...

In South Africa, it is not uncommon for companies to take IP-related disputes to the Advertising Regulatory Board ("ARB"), a process that is far cheaper and quicker than High Court proceedings.

In July 2023, three independent designers filed a lawsuit in California against Shein, the popular online fashion retailer. They allege that Shein sold exact copies of their work which infringes their copyright...

The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) of South Africa recently delivered a judgment in a trade mark infringement case between iCollege (Pty) Ltd ("iCollege") and Xpertease Skills Development and Mentoring CC ("Xpertease").