Regulatory contributor articles in South Africa

Level 3: Green light for takeaways and booze, but tobacco ban remains

The ban on cigarettes and related tobacco products will remain in place, but alcohol will be permitted for sale on certain days of the week...

By Lauren Hartzenberg 28 May 2020

#BizTrends2020: The future of retailing in sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to 14% of the world's population and by 2030, the region's population will surpass that of China. The way consumers shop in the region is ever-changing...

By Christele Chokossa 8 Jan 2020

#BizTrends2020: Africa's double-edged consumer demand

Africa's consumer landscape is fragmented and polarised, characterised by the double-edged demand of a diverse base of consumers...

By Ailsa Wingfield 6 Jan 2020

How brand blocking regulations in South Africa could lead to further job losses

A legislative trend of applying branding and marketing restrictions on alcohol, junk food and sugar is gaining traction across the world and posing a threat to some of the worlds' most famous brands...

By Ron Cregan 27 Jun 2019

When local becomes lekker for the economy

The notion of buying local doesn't extend to all products and services. We produce and manufacture many things in Namibia, including cars, however, with certain things it's impossible to buy local...

By Llewellyn le Hané 6 Jun 2019

A South African's guide to moving to and making it in Malta: A capital of knowledge

How does a nation get ahead in the global economy if its landmass and population size is small? Although I hadn't thought much about it previously, an article in the Times of Malta made me think of my newly adopted homeland rather differently. The answer is to position yourself as a player in the knowledge economy...

By Marcus ‘The Maltese Falcon’ Brewster 2 Mar 2018

Trade mark registration: Truworths no longer has "the look"

Ackermans has recently been successful in a precedent setting trade mark dispute against Truworths which was heard by the Supreme Court of Appeal. The trade mark at the centre of the dispute was “THE LOOK”...

By Janine Hollesen 16 Jan 2017

Sugar wars: Coke faces first salvo in US false advertising lawsuit

Coca-Cola's claims that their SSBs are not linked to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease will be tested in a lawsuit...

By Sharon Snell 9 Jan 2017

Appointment of POPI Information Regulator could mean earlier implementation

The appointment of an Information Regulator on 26 Oct means that the Protection of Personal Information Act is coming into effect sooner rather than later. Wynand Smit notes that this will have a tremendous impact on the way companies do business in 2017, with regards to how they obtain, store and dispose of customer information...

By Wynand Smit 3 Nov 2016

Oops!...I clicked it again

Sorry to disappoint you, but not only did you not win the UK lottery like that email you received said, but you will probably also not get the flat-screen TV that you ordered on the e-commerce site for the advertised price of R500 if the price was a mistake...

By Neville Melville 7 Oct 2015

Product supplier responsibility

One of the more potentially contentious issues contained within the 'fair customer treatment/RDR' review has been that of product supplier responsibility...

By Richard Rattue 10 Sep 2015

The ombudsman cometh

Has the culture of non-compliance and non-payment that is increasingly prevalent amongst the general population spread to businesses? If the recent experience of the office of the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (CGSO) is anything to go by, it may well have done so...

By Neville Melville 3 Sep 2015

[Source Africa 2015] Africa en vogue

Africa is certainly the next big thing when it comes to trading partners for the US, and the recent reauthorisation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for another 10 years has just made it even hotter...

By Nicci Botha 11 Jun 2015

Consumer Protection Act protects car buyers

Many consumers are quick to threaten action by the CPA if they feel they've been duped, but the law isn't always on their side...

By Jeff Osborne 4 May 2015

Code of Conduct a further step in empowering consumers

It used to be that if one wished to complain about particular goods purchased or services received, one would need to wait in a queue in some dark corner of a store and argue one's case before a disinterested clerk...

By Neil Kirby 22 Apr 2015

Competition Commission's appeal against SAB dismissed

The Competition Commission's appeal against South African Breweries Limited (SAB) was dismissed with costs in a judgment handed down on Monday, 2 February 2015 by the Competition Appeal Court (CAC)...

By Leana Engelbrecht 5 Feb 2015

[Trends 2015] The year of transformation

The pressure is on the local advertising industry in 2015 with the implementation of the new Triple BEE codes, warns Abey Mokgwatsane, CEO of Ogilvy & Mather South Africa...

By Abey Mokgwatsane 20 Jan 2015

Popularity of SA wines heightens threat of fraud

A first at this year's Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction was the application of security foil strips to each bottle of wine on auction...

By Donvay Wegierski 12 Nov 2014

Market for counterfeit goods in Africa on the rise

As business environments improve, Africa's urbanisation and middle class are growing rapidly. Over the past decade, six out of the 10 fastest-growing economies worldwide were in sub-Saharan Africa.

By Lucy Signorelli 3 Nov 2014

Online businesses need to heed POPI

The promulgation of the POPI Act into law will result in severe penalties if an online business does not adequately secure the personal details of its customers stored online...

By Anton Vukic 24 Oct 2014

The rise of the consumer

The director-general of the Department of Trade and Industry has recently published an invitation for the public to comment on the Draft Consumer Goods and Services Sector Code of Conduct.

By Neil Kirby 23 Oct 2014

South African consumer rights under threat

The prohibition of alcohol advertising and raising the age limit for alcohol sales to 21 is an infringement of consumers' rights to choose their own lifestyle...

By Danette Breitenbach 13 Aug 2014

It's my product and I will say it's healthy if I want to... or not?

The Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act 54 of 1972 (FCDA) regulates, amongst other things, the labelling of foodstuffs in South Africa. Until 2012, the issue of food labelling was not, particularly, of any major consequence.

By Natasha Wright 11 Jul 2014

If you like it, then you should've put a ® on it

The value of intellectual property has never been more important than the present, with local and international fashion houses and manufacturers in the clothing, footwear...

By Tiffany Conley 10 Jul 2014

Application of the CPA to municipalities

Included among the objects of the Consumer Protection Act, No. 68 of 2008 (CPA) are the imperatives to strengthen a culture of consumer rights as well as consumer-focused service delivery.

By Justine Krige 25 Jun 2014

National Consumer Commission's bark is louder than its bite

Looking back to March 2011, the media were positively giddy with excitement about the Consumer Protection Act, No. 68 of 2008 (CPA) and the whip cracking that was to be done by the National Consumer Commission on behalf of consumers who felt hard done by after poor treatment from goods suppliers or service providers.

By Megan Badenhorst 20 Jun 2014

Tell the new Minister of Small Business Development what small business needs

The creation of a Small Business Development Ministry under Lindiwe Zulu has received a positive response.

By Brett Bowes 5 Jun 2014

Seven easy steps to manage product recall risk

The National Consumer Commission was involved in its first product recall after it was found that the circuit board in the chest of a toy baby doll sold at Game retail stores was defective. The defect can allegedly cause the doll to overheat and cause burns or blisters...

By Burton Phillips 23 May 2014

Competition Commission appeals against tribunal's SAB decision

On 24 March 2014 the Competition Tribunal dismissed all charges against South African Breweries Limited (SAB) and its authorised distributors in a matter that has been on-going for ten years.

By Leana Engelbrecht 29 Apr 2014

New meat labelling requirements to come into force today

Over a year has passed since the infamous meat labelling scandal that revealed gross misrepresentations in respect of the content of meat products and the incorrect labelling of meat products not only in South Africa, but globally.

By Leana Engelbrecht 25 Apr 2014

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