Responsible contact centres in the age of regulation: What SA’s new no-call list means for contact centres

Becoming a responsible, compliant contact centre.

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South Africa’s voice-based contact strategies are facing a pivotal legal transformation. With the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) cracking down on the illegal use of mobile number ranges from fixed premises, and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) preparing a national opt-out registry, contact centres must act decisively or risk steep penalties. This press release explores the legal landscape, the risks of non-compliance and the path to becoming a responsible, compliant contact centre.

Voice-based contact centres have long served as a crucial touchpoint for customer engagement, particularly in direct marketing, yet it now faces tighter scrutiny. The growing consumer backlash and frustration against unsolicited and deceptive calls has triggered urgent regulatory responses. A clear message has emerged from the regulators: non-compliant call practices are no longer tolerated. To stay ahead, contact centres must modernise their communication strategies to prioritise both legality and trust.

Two key legislative actions are reshaping the operational and ethical framework for contact centres and related service providers:

• ICASA crackdown on mobile number misuse

The 2016 Numbering Plan Regulations prohibit the use of mobile number ranges for fixed-location services. Despite this, numerous call centres have exploited mobile SIMs or spoofed numbers from fixed premises – largely because mobile-originated calls enjoy higher answer rates.

In May 2025, the Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) raised alarm over this illegal practice, prompting ICASA to confirm it is actively investigating violations. According to Section 25 of the regulations, offenders could face fines between R300 000 and R3 million per infringement.

ICASA’s position is clear: any licensee using mobile numbers for fixed services is in breach of the regulation, and the courts will determine financial penalties accordingly.

• DTIC’s National Opt-Out Registry

The DTIC, with the National Consumer Commission (NCC), plans to launch a unified National Opt-Out Registry to reduce unsolicited direct marketing. Consumers will be able to opt out of voice calls and other marketing, while telemarketers must register and cleanse their contact lists at least every 30 days. This registry will replace existing fragmented systems and is expected to launch in the 2025/2026 financial year.

The registry aims to strengthen consumer rights and reduce abuse, particularly from external or fragmented opt-out mechanisms.

Regulators and industry bodies are aligning on a single goal: reduce consumer harm from misleading and unwanted calls. As a result, common but non-compliant practices must be eliminated. These include:

• Using mobile numbers (eg, 082, 072, 073) from fixed premises.
• Spoofing fake mobile numbers to boost answer rates.
• Rotating prepaid SIMs to bypass mobile operators’ fair usage policies.

• Exclusive use of geographic number ranges that correspond to a contact centre’s fixed location.
• Implementation of audit trails and consent management systems.
• Regular cleansing of contact databases against the national opt-out registry.

This is not just about staying legal – it’s about positioning your brand as ethical and customer-centric.

To adapt to this new era of consumer-first regulation, contact centres should adopt the following best practices:

• Use geographic telephone numbers aligned with your business location.
• Avoid number spoofing and prepaid mobile SIM manipulation.
• Ensure explicit consent is obtained and recorded before calling.
• Respect all opt-out requests.
• Train agents on regulatory compliance and ethical engagement standards.

These are not optional checkboxes – they are the foundation of responsible customer engagement.

As regulatory requirements around contact centres grow more complex, your technology must simplify compliance, not add to the burden. Coligo Group's contact centre technology solutions are GDPR and POPIA compliant and purpose-built to ensure full regulatory alignment and ethical communication to help you stay ahead. Key features include:

• CRM integration: Seamlessly connect your contact centre with your customer relationship management system to ensure all customer interactions are accurately tracked and managed.
• Omnichannel CRM: Coligo Group's full-featured omnichannel CRM solution empowers you to diversify your outreach strategy – moving beyond traditional telemarketing into high-impact digital channels like Facebook, TikTok, WhatsApp, Google and more. By shifting your spend to social and PPC marketing, you can build a more stable, scalable and cost-effective sales pipeline – without sacrificing performance.
• Opt-in and opt-out management: Built-in features allow you to monitor and respect consumer preferences by tracking opt-in and opt-out requests in real-time, helping you avoid costly breaches.
• Geographic number support: Allocate and manage landline (geographic) numbers for outbound calls, ensuring compliance with regulations that prohibit the use of mobile numbers from fixed premises.
• Speech analytics for real-time compliance monitoring: Analyse 100% of call recordings using advanced, recorder-agnostic speech analytics. Automatically detect risky language, non-compliant practices and consent issues, while generating detailed sentiment analysis and keyword-based alerts. This enables proactive intervention, audit readiness and consistent adherence to POPIA and ICASA regulations.

• Microsoft-certified Teams recording enables organisations to capture, store and analyse all Microsoft Teams communications while maintaining compliance with stringent regulations. From audio and video recordings to advanced analytics, this solution ensures secure, efficient and compliant communication management.

• Secure audit trails: Maintain verifiable consent logs, call transcripts and interaction records to meet regulatory expectations and support internal governance.

• Interactive video solution: Enhances compliance efforts by embedding explicit consent mechanisms, micro-learning journeys and auditable interactions within personalised video content. By prompting viewers to confirm permissions, update preferences or complete verification steps mid-video, it ensures real-time consent capture and traceability. This helps clients adhere to POPIA and DTIC regulations by proving that data subjects were informed and opted in – creating a transparent, user-driven compliance trail that’s logged and reportable.

These capabilities work in unison to minimise compliance risks, build greater customer trust and streamline operational workflows. With these tools in place, your team can confidently engage customers in a manner that is both ethical and fully compliant, reducing the likelihood of regulatory penalties.

The era of opaque or overly aggressive calling practices is coming to an end. South Africa’s new regulatory framework demands more than minimal compliance – it requires a cultural shift towards accountability and consumer respect.

For contact centres, this is a turning point. Those who modernise, adopt ethical practices and invest in compliant technologies will not only avoid legal risk but also gain a powerful advantage: trust.

Now is the time to reassess your communication strategy. Compliance isn’t a constraint – it’s your licence to operate, and a key to building deeper, more respectful customer relationships. Don’t wait for a compliance audit or regulatory penalty to rethink your contact strategy. The new era of customer engagement is here – and it rewards those who lead with transparency, ethics and trust.

Partner with a solution that does more than just meet regulations – it empowers your team to thrive within them.

Let’s build a contact centre your customers (and regulators) can trust. Contact Coligo Group today for more information on (060) 068 8980 or claudine@coligogroup.com.