South African consumer service bodies
Provincial Consumer Affairs Offices countrywide offer you advice and protection. Add to this a range of statutory, industry and other consumer bodies – see below, or consult the A-Z guide on the right – and you've no excuse for accepting faulty products or shoddy service!
Provincial Consumer Affairs Offices
The government has set up Provincial Consumer Affairs Offices countrywide to provide consumers with protection, information and advice. You can approach a Consumers Affairs Office to intervene in disputes over contracts, quality of products or services.
You should first complain to the branch manager or customer care office of the business concerned before asking the Consumer Affairs Office to intervene. These offices have trained staff to advise you on your rights as consumers. You may also want to contact them to find out if a company you intend doing business with has a previous history of complaints against it.
- Eastern Cape – 045 808 4000
- Free State – 051 400 4852
- Gauteng – 011 355 8000
- KwaZulu-Natal – 031 310 5300
- Limpopo – 015 293 8300
- Mpumalanga – 013 752 3761
- North West –018 387 7700
- Northern Cape – 053 839 4000
- Western Cape – 0800 007 081
Other consumer organisations
National Consumer Forum
An umbrella body for consumer organisations countrywide, the Forum is dedicated to the promotion and protection of consumer rights.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
The DTI provides a number of useful services, including:
- Consumer Alerts on which consumers are warned to beware of scams or unfair business practices that can steal their hard-earned money.
- Prohibition Notices. These deal with the Unfair Business Practices Act in terms of which certain business practices may be declared unfair business practices and therefore prohibited by the Minister.
Association for Savings and Investment South Africa
ASISA represents the majority of South Africa's asset managers, collective investment scheme management companies, linked investment service providers, multi-managers, and life insurance companies.
United by one representative body for the first time, the members of ASISA have mandated the association to pro-actively engage with the policymaker and regulator, as well as intermediaries and consumers on regulatory and other important issues of common concern.
ASISA strives to create an environment that promotes equal opportunities for its members through holistic legislation, while at the same time looking after the interests of consumers and ensuring the sustainability of the industries it represents and the intermediaries that promote the organisation.
Financial Services Board
The Financial Services Board (FSB) is a unique independent institution established by statute to oversee the South African Non-Banking Financial Services Industry in the public interest.
The FSB is committed to promote and maintain a sound financial investment environment in South Africa. It regulates insurers, intermediaries, retirement funds, friendly societies, unit trust schemes, management companies, and financial markets.
Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration
The CCMA is a dispute resolution body established in terms of the Labour Relations Act, 66 of 1995 (LRA).
It is an independent body, does not belong to and is not controlled by any political party, trade union or business.
The governing body is the supreme policy making body of the CCMA and consists of a chairperson, three state representatives; three representatives from organised labour and three representatives from organised business; all of whom are nominated by Nedlac and the Director of the CCMA nominated by the governing body.
The Public Protector
If you have any complaints about government services, you might find help from the Public Protector. A toll-free number is also provided:
0800 11 20 40
SAinfo reporter
South Africans – getting shoddy service? Bought a faulty product? Want to complain about a company, government department, dentist, bank, estate agent? Unsure of your rights as a consumer? Help is at hand:
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