Unwanted spam emails, calls and texts? The Information Regulator wants to hear from you!

Sara-Jayne Makwala King (standing in for CapeTalk's Pippa Hudson) chats to consumer journalist Wendy Knowler.

Listen below:

Consumers across South Africa continue to be flooded with relentless spam emails, SMSes and calls - often from companies they’ve explicitly asked to stop.

Despite clear protections in the Consumer Protection Act and the Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act, many businesses still ignore unsubscribe requests.

Knowler says this is not just annoying, but it's illegal.

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• Spam calls NOT stopping? Here's what POPIA says and where you can report them...
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She explains that companies are required by law to immediately stop all marketing communication once a consumer opts out.

Yet, some continue to exploit technical loopholes, adding users to multiple mailing lists or failing to consolidate data systems.

The Information Regulator says complaints can and should be formally lodged via the POPIA complaint form on its website, but awareness remains low.

A national 'Do Not Contact' database, long promised by the government, is reportedly in development.

Knowler stresses that the public should take action by reporting persistent offenders and using social media to hold them accountable - because "the law is on your side."

She adds that repeat violators are sabotaging their own reputations.

"It's not defamation if it's true."

- Wendy Knowler, Consumer Journalist

Scroll up to listen to the full conversation.