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...
Marcus ‘The Maltese Falcon’ Brewster 2 Mar 2018
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”...
Janine Hollesen 16 Jan 2017
Coca-Cola's claims that their SSBs are not linked to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease will be tested in a lawsuit...
Sharon Snell 9 Jan 2017
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...
Wynand Smit 3 Nov 2016
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...
Neville Melville 7 Oct 2015
One of the more potentially contentious issues contained within the 'fair customer treatment/RDR' review has been that of product supplier responsibility...
Richard Rattue 10 Sep 2015
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...
Neville Melville 3 Sep 2015
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...
Nicci Botha 11 Jun 2015
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...
Jeff Osborne 4 May 2015
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...
Neil Kirby 22 Apr 2015
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)...
Leana Engelbrecht 5 Feb 2015
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...
Abey Mokgwatsane 20 Jan 2015
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...
Donvay Wegierski 12 Nov 2014
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.
Lucy Signorelli 3 Nov 2014
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...
Anton Vukic 24 Oct 2014
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.
Neil Kirby 23 Oct 2014
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...
Danette Breitenbach 13 Aug 2014
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.
Natasha Wright 11 Jul 2014
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...
Tiffany Conley 10 Jul 2014
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.
Justine Krige 25 Jun 2014
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.
Megan Badenhorst 20 Jun 2014
The creation of a Small Business Development Ministry under Lindiwe Zulu has received a positive response.
Brett Bowes 5 Jun 2014
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...
Burton Phillips 23 May 2014
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.
Leana Engelbrecht 29 Apr 2014
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.
Leana Engelbrecht 25 Apr 2014
Presently the Chinese trademark system has a reputation for being slow, expensive and complex. It is therefore anticipated that the third amendment to the trademark law of the People's Republic of China, which introduces significant changes, effective 1 May 2014, will be welcomed.
Donvay Wegierski 26 Feb 2014
Understanding consumer rights is becoming an integral part of conducting business in South Africa. With an increased emphasis on potential harm to consumers by goods and services, suppliers around the world must become conscious of their obligations in law in various jurisdictions including South Africa.
Neil Kirby 24 Feb 2014
After a four-year battle with its competitor Nestle, the UK Appeals Court has refused the registration of Cadbury's trademark application for the specific colour purple that Cadbury has used for over 150 years in relation to its chocolate wrapping.
Christophe van Zyl 11 Dec 2013
As of 6 December this year you will no longer see a nurturing mother feeding her happy baby a bottle of formula milk as an advertisement in any newspaper, magazine, on a website or on television.
Lize Mills 11 Dec 2013
Social media platforms were aflutter recently following allegations by a Cape Town artist that Woolworths reproduced her design of a hummingbird without her consent.
Janine Hollesen 29 Oct 2013