Spam calls in South Africa are rising sharply. New figures show unwanted marketing calls and phone scams have increased significantly, but there are ways to get your number removed from marketing lists.
If it feels like your phone has been ringing more frequently lately with calls from unknown numbers, you're probably not imagining it. From funeral policies and loans to cellphone contracts and suspicious calls claiming to be from banks – unwanted calls have become a daily frustration for many South Africans.
According to Truecaller's South African spam report for 2026, an estimated 17.47 billion spam calls were made in South Africa between January and June this year. That's 25.2% more than in the same period last year.
Spam SMS messages increased by 58.9% to 3.71 billion.
The figures are based on Truecaller's user data and estimates, but confirm that the problem is much larger than just a few annoying calls.
Why are spam calls in South Africa increasing?
There are several reasons why your number might end up on more and more calling lists.
When you complete online forms, enter competitions, request quotes or register with certain services, your contact details can be used for marketing if you give permission.
In some cases, your details can also end up in the wrong hands through data breaches or illegal database sales.
A further problem is the use of automated calling systems. This technology makes it possible to dial large numbers of numbers in a short time, without a person having to make each call themselves.
Scammers are also increasingly using technology to spoof their phone numbers. This is known as caller ID spoofing and can make a call appear to come from a local business or trusted institution.
Artificial intelligence is also being used to make fraudulent conversations sound more convincing.
This means that even apps like Truecaller can't necessarily identify or block every suspicious call in time.
Your phone number is valuable
For marketing companies, an active cellphone number is a potential sales opportunity. For criminals, the same number can be the starting point of a fraud attempt.
It's important to distinguish between legitimate direct marketing and phone fraud.
A registered company may, under certain circumstances, market products or services by phone. However, this does not mean that companies can contact you without limit.
South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) sets strict requirements for unsolicited electronic direct marketing, including phone calls. The Information Regulator's guidelines on direct marketing explain the requirements.
Companies must have the necessary consent or another appropriate legal basis under the Act. Consumers also have the right to withdraw their consent and object to direct marketing.
How do you get your number off marketing lists?
The Direct Marketing Association of Southern Africa (DMASA) offers a free opt-out service that allows consumers to register their contact details on a Do Not Contactdatabase.
This means that companies that are members of the association should no longer contact you for unsolicited marketing.
You can register on the DMASA's opt-out form .
According to DMASA, consumers must provide a valid South African ID number and an email address and/or cellphone number.
After you register, you must confirm your registration by email. If you don't do so within five days, your details will be deleted.
The association warns that it can take approximately six weeks before the service is fully operational.
The important limitation is that the database mainly applies to DMASA members. It will therefore not necessarily prevent calls from all marketing companies or scammers.
Government introduces new register
The National Consumer Commission (NCC) introduced a new national opt-out register on seven October 2026 to restrict unwanted direct marketing.
The system is, however, being implemented in phases.
Marketing companies have been able to register since September 2026 and will subsequently need to check their contact lists against the register.
According to the NCC, consumers will only be able to register on the new register themselves from May 2027 to block unwanted direct marketing in advance.
This means that the DMASA's existing opt-out service remains a practical option in the meantime.
What can you do now to limit the calls?
- Register your number on the DMASA's opt-out database.
- Ask companies that call you repeatedly to remove your details from their marketing lists.
- Use your phone's built-in features to block suspicious numbers.
- Make sure that an app like Truecaller is up to date and that the necessary call identification settings are activated.
- Be careful when entering your cellphone number on competition forms, websites and online platforms.
- Don't provide personal information, bank details, PINs or one-time passwords over the phone just because the caller claims to be from a known institution.
Automatically silencing all unknown numbers is also not necessarily the best solution. It can cause you to miss important calls from clients, delivery services or other people.
Although no single app or register will eliminate all spam calls, a combination of opt-out registration, more careful privacy settings and call blocking can reduce the number of unwanted calls.
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
