Spam calls have become so widespread in South Africa that many people no longer pick up their phones, turning instead to apps like WhatsApp for safer communication. What was once an essential part of daily life, making and receiving calls, is now being disrupted by relentless telemarketing practices.
BusinessTech recently highlighted how spam calls are pushing South Africans to avoid answering unknown numbers, while new regulatory changes are attempting to clamp down on the problem. The issue is not just an inconvenience for consumers but also threatens the future of mobile voice calling in the country.
Industry experts have flagged that many call centres are bending, and in some cases breaking, existing rules. Some are unlawfully using mobile numbers from fixed locations, which violates the Numbering Plan Regulations of 2016. Others go further, spoofing or recycling prepaid SIM cards with unlimited calling bundles to disguise their identity.
Watch below as CapeTalk`s Africa Melane chats to David Dickens, CEO of the Direct Marketing Association of SA, to unpack why traditional voice calling is under threat.
The Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) has raised concerns, noting that as consumers learn to ignore calls from ranges like 087, spammers are turning to mobile numbers.
‘With spammers realising that voice calls from mobile numbers are more likely to be answered, ISPA is advocating for the legitimate use of assigned geographic numbers,’ the association said.
Calls to crack down on the abuse have grown louder. ‘ICASA must act now to stamp out the abuse of mobile numbers and to end the high levels of voice call spam being endured by South Africans,’ stressed Dominic Cull, ISPA’s regulatory advisor.
For many South Africans, the situation is more than just irritating. BusinessTech tested one of its own numbers and found that between 80% and 90% of calls were spam. Veterinary surgeon Dr Hermien Viljoen described the flood of unwanted calls as ‘completely insane,’ saying she had received 16 spam calls in just one day.
‘It cannot go on like this. I have to answer my phone because I am expecting calls, I have received 16 calls, just today, from spam,’ she explained.
In a response shared with MyBroadband, Vodacom explained earlier this year that it cannot monitor the content of calls due to the RICA Act, which would make interception unlawful. However, the operator noted it is prepared to cooperate with regulators on lawful measures to combat the issue.
First published on cape {town} etc
Words compiled by: Lulama Klassen
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