INSIGHTS
Uncategorized

I’ve got solar. But now I still need to pay Eskom? And should I register before the end of September 2026?

During a recent presentation of Eskom’s annual results, a slide in its report indicated that even where customers self-generate or buy elsewhere, Eskom will retain revenue through network charges and revised tariff structures which separate energy charges from the recovery of fixed costs. In other words, Eskom wants to continue charging solar power users a fixed monthly grid connection fee to recover its costs for maintaining the infrastructure which connects to people’s homes.   This

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September 10, 2026 No Comments
Uncategorized

Uproar among Cape pet owners about City bylaw

Please click on link to view full article https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-09-09-were-not-coming-for-your-dogs-and-cats-says-city-over-pet-licensing-uproar/?utm_campaign=Post-2857&utm_medium=email&utm_source=first-thing 

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September 10, 2026 No Comments
From The Source

Opt-Out Registry: What Consumers Need to Know to stop unwanted marketing

The National Consumer Commission’s new Opt-Out Registry gives consumers an important new way to take control of unwanted direct marketing. The registry allows consumers to register a pre-emptive block against direct marketing communications, either from a particular direct marketer or across the industry. This means that, rather than waiting for unwanted calls or messages and asking individual companies to stop contacting you, you can proactively record your preference on the registry. The Commission has described

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August 25, 2026 No Comments
From The Source

NCC Opt-Out Registry: What Direct Marketers Need to Know

The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has launched its Opt-Out Registry, introducing an important new compliance requirement for organisations involved in direct marketing. The registry allows consumers to register a pre-emptive block against unwanted direct marketing communications, while providing direct marketers with a mechanism to register and meet their obligations before contacting consumers. The CPA Amendment Regulations came into effect on 15 April 2026, bringing additional requirements for direct marketers. The NCC has encouraged direct marketers

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August 13, 2026 No Comments
From The Source

Celebrating 15 years of the Consumer Protection Act

On 6 July 2026, Trudie had great fun at the 2nd Dialogue on Consumer Protection, hosted jointly by the University of Pretoria and University of Johannesburg. Associate Professor Ngoepe in the photograph was a mentor to our staff members whose alma mater is UP, so it was wonderful meeting her in person.  

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July 9, 2026 No Comments
CONSUMER LAW

Celebrating 15 years of the Consumer Protection Act

On 6 July 2026, Trudie was honoured to join colleagues at the 2nd Dialogue on Consumer Protection at the University of Pretoria, marking 15 years of the Consumer Protection Act. In the plenary session chaired by Professor Jacolien Barnard (Universitas), she reflected on the areas of consumer law that have drawn the most attention in practice. Later, in Parallel Session 2, she spoke on a landmark case law in consumer protection which our firm won

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July 8, 2026 No Comments
From The Source

WhatsApp usernames: innovative or invasive?

WhatsApp recently announced that they are introducing usernames on their platform. The idea behind this initiative is to make connecting with others more accessible. It allows users to give others their username instead of their phone number, easing the fears of providing personal information to someone lesser known. WhatsApp claims that the purpose of the usernames is to make the platform more private, seeing as that you can only be contacted if your exact username

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July 6, 2026 No Comments
CONSUMER LAW

Williams v Cell C- When a cap on your roaming charges is not a cap

Our firm represented Julie Williams in a case before the National Consumer Tribunal where she disputed Cell C’s roaming charges incurred during a visit to Paris. Mrs Williams had called Cell C prior to leaving the country to limit her roaming charges as she was worried that exorbitant charges may be incurred otherwise. At the same time, she wanted to have roaming so that her five young kids could contact her, as she was travelling

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June 26, 2026 No Comments
From The Source

Petition calling on Minister to oblige banks to pay out to victims of banking fraud

Please click on the link and support this important consumer cause by signing up this petition. You will receive an email after signing from the petition platform- please click to confirm your address so that your name is included on the list of signatories. Please don’t make any donation to the platform, but we would be very grateful if you could share the petition and encourage your contacts to also sign. We can create change,

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June 17, 2026 No Comments
From The Source

Airline damages or loses your luggage- what are your rights?

You are barely surprised any more when the conveyor belt rolls around and you find a few additional scratches on your luggage. But what if it’s more serious? In the case of international flights, the Montreal Convention of 1999 is applicable. Article 17 of the Montreal Convention provides that the airline is liable for damages sustained to checked baggage upon condition only that the destruction, loss or damage took place on board the aircraft or

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June 10, 2026 No Comments

Open Letter to the Minister Regarding Banking Fraud and Consumer Protection

MINISTER ENOCH GODONGWANA PAYMENT ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA BANKING ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH AFRICAN RESERVE BANK     FINANCIAL SECTOR CONDUCT AUTHORITY FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE CENTRE   E-mail: egodongwana@parliament.gov.za pasa@pasa.org.za governor@resbank.co.za info@resbank.co.za privacy@resbank.co.za info@fsca.co.za fsca@behonest.co.za scams@fic.gov.za fic_feedback@fic.gov.za     RE:  INTRODUCTION OF A MANDATORY REIMBURSEMENT POLICY FOR VICTIMS OF BANKING FRAUD   We are a law firm specialising in Consumer Law. We assist ordinary consumers to enforce their legal rights and as a result we have a

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June 8, 2026 No Comments
From The Source

Massive recall of poular pet foods

Please click on link to view article: https://www.news24.com/business/companies/massive-recall-of-popular-pet-foods-including-bobtail-and-catmore-as-safety-scare-expands-20260305-0878

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March 27, 2026 No Comments

Landmark ruling holds banks liable for faulty car sales

Stephen Grootes speaks to Fortune Chego, a candidate attorney at Trudie Broekmann Attorneys about the implications of the landmark Van Niekerk v FirstRand ruling, which has reshaped consumer rights in vehicle finance. Please click below to listen to the full interview:  

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March 19, 2026 No Comments
From The Source

Click on link to view the full article https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/volkswagen-polo-vivo-recalled-in-south-africa-25000-cars-recalled-faulty-handbrake/

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March 5, 2026 No Comments
From The Source

Practical Tips from a Consumer Lawyer for filing a successful insurance claim

As consumer attorneys, we am well aware that many South African consumers are unhappy with their claims against insurance being rejected for invalid reasons. If you are unhappy with the payment offer you receive, the National Financial ombud, which has replaced both the Ombudsman for Short-term Insurance and the Ombudsman for Long-term Insurance, will investigate and adjudicate eon your complaint. Here’s the process and our tips on how to get a better outcome: Don’t sign

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March 4, 2026 No Comments
From The Source

Top 3 Tips for Private Car Sale 

The Consumer Protection Act is not applicable when a sales transaction is concluded between private parties (in other words, when the seller is not acting in the ordinary course of his business). Nevertheless, there are ways in which one can ensure that you are protected when concluding a private sale agreement. Here are 3 things you can do when you are selling your car privately. a written agreement between you and the buyer. It can

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February 11, 2026 No Comments
From The Source

Are you safe when shopping online?

Please click on link to view full article: https://iol.co.za/weekend-argus/2025-09-18-are-you-safe-when-shopping-online-experts-warn-after-shocking-pillow-find/

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September 19, 2025 No Comments
From The Source

Care for your loved ones by skillful nomination of beneficiaries for your pension

We’ve recently been struck by how stressful it is for grieving family members to deal with technical financial decisions in the period just after their loved one has died. We have even seen this lead to devastating decisions which deprive those who are supposed to inherit from what was intended for their benefit.   If you have a pension, here are some pointers as to how you can help your loved ones avoid this type

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September 19, 2025 No Comments
From The Source

How can I as a consumer support recycling of packaging materials to protect the environment?

At Trudie Broekmann Attorneys we think consumers care not only about the quality of the product they buy, but also about the long-term result it has on the environment. The packaging we throw into the bin is a big contributor to overfull landfill sites. South Africa’s 2021 Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations, developed by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFPE), require producers of packaging materials to take accountability for the management of

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September 11, 2025 No Comments
From The Source

Cancer survivor triumphs in tribunal case

Click on link to view article: https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/weekend-argus-saturday-edition/20250906/281951728948487?srsltid=AfmBOorTcFLsskWoGOd6ZU_-cEgxcrAcyB_b50XQCAC7tYT7I2K3mbad  

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September 8, 2025 No Comments
From The Source

Is Your Landie Giving You a Headache? You May Not Be Alone.

Have you had strange issues with your Land Rover, Range Rover or Jaguar diesel vehicle?  If so, you are not alone, and you may have a right to take legal action. Across Australia and the UK, thousands of owners have joined class actions against Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), alleging that certain vehicles were sold with defective diesel particulate filter (DPF) systems. This system is a key part of the exhaust designed to collect soot and

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May 15, 2025 No Comments
From The Source

Information officers: 30 June deadline for your 2025 PAIA report

The online portal for submission of Promotion of Access to Information Act annual reports opened on 1 April and will close 30 June 2025.   Step 1 is to register on the Information Regulator’s eservices- you can do that here: https://eservices.inforegulator.org.za/. The actual report is a 5 minute exercise unless you’ve had lots of PAIA requests in your organisation.   For plenty more information, take a look at https://inforegulator.org.za/2025/03/18/the-information-regulator-to-brief-the-media-on-developments-in-high-level-paia-cases-non-compliance-by-public-bodies-and-progress-on-popia-matters-2/

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April 23, 2025 No Comments
From The Source

Our wish list for International Consumer Rights Day 2025

Fewer scams aimed at consumers. This can be achieved by better policing and if government requires online platforms to prevent criminals from misusing their platform, and if government requires banks to consistently refund scammed consumers.   Speaking of banks, we wish savvy consumers could trust their bank again. We hear story after story of consumers who have been disappointed by their bank- whether it’s a bank heist where the bank is laissez-faire about protecting their

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March 17, 2025 No Comments
From The Source

Have you been injured due to a defective product? The law is on your side

 PIETERSE AND OTHERS V ORGANIC SYNTHESIS (PTY) LTD AND ANOTHER (61861/2017) [2024] ZAGPPHC 1195 (14 NOVEMBER 2024): A WIN FOR CONSUMERS In a recent decision, the Pretoria High Court in Pieterse and Others v Organic Synthesis (Pty) Ltd and Another (61861/2017) [2024] ZAGPPHC 1195 (14 November 2024) reaffirmed the rights of South African consumers to seek justice directly from the courts when injured by defective products, even if they have not first exhausted alternative remedies

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February 26, 2025 No Comments
From The Source

Gesin reg vir vuurwarm regstryd teen ‘uitbuiting’ met lewensreg in Benoni aftree-oord

‘n Vuurwarm regstryd wink tussen ‘n weduwee, Erica Schroeder, haar werklose kinders en die ontwikkelaar van ‘n aftreeoord wat Erica en haar kinders se eis teen die boedel van haar man, Carl, verwerp nadat hy ‘n lewensreg in ‘n aftreeoord gekoop, ingetrek en vier maande later te sterwe gekom het.   Carl Schroeder het in 2023 ‘n lewensreg in die Ryn Village-aftreeoord gekoop.   Vier maande nadat hy ingetrek het, is Carl Schroeder oorlede. Die

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February 14, 2025 No Comments
From The Source

Developer rejects life right claim

The legal battle lines are drawn between a jobless widow, Erica Schroeder, her unemployed children, and the developers of a retirement village who have rejected their claim of the estate of her ex-husband, Carl Schroeder, after he bought a life right in a retirement village and passed away just four months after taking possession.   Schroeder bought a life right in the Ryn Village Retirement Estate in Benoni in 2023.   He passed away four

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February 14, 2025 No Comments
From The Source

Huge win for consumers on roaming costs

We won against #CellC in the National Consumer Tribunal in a case challenging the proviso on the #capping of #internasionalroaming charges by Cell C. The consumer capped her charges at R2k but got a #billshock for R7480.32 due to a sneaky contract proviso in the terms read to the consumer over the phone in terms of which Cell C passes on bills they get from overseas cellphone operators after the cap has kicked in. The

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February 13, 2025 No Comments
From The Source

A WIN FOR CONSUMER REDRESS AND PRESS FREEDOM

ELS AND ANOTHER V EMEDIA INVESTMENTS (PTY) LTD (25902/2021) [2024] ZAGPJHC 1164 (19 NOVEMBER 2024): The Johannesburg High Court recently delivered a judgment which has affirmed the public’s right to transparency and accountability and has delivered a crucial win for both consumer redress and press freedom. Gregory John Els and his company, Praxley brought an urgent application seeking to prevent the broadcast of footage filmed by the Devi Show on e.tv. The footage in question

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November 27, 2024 No Comments
From The Source

Can a property seller wash his hands of undisclosed hazards in the property? Voetstoots clauses and the impact of the Consumer Protection Act

Imagine, if you will, the following scenario : after years of saving up for a deposit and searching around for the perfect home to put down roots in, you finally take the plunge and buy your first home only to discover, after having taken transfer and moving into the property, that the property is fraught with serious defects which were never disclosed to you prior to entering into the sale agreement (“offer to purchase”). Examples

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November 21, 2024 No Comments
From The Source

Unseen threats: vulnerabilities in POPI endanger our privacy and safety

In a recent case in the Cape Town High Court, disturbing details are emerging about how former rugby player, Zane Killian, who, along with 14 co-accused, has been charged with the murder of the head of the Western Cape division of the South African Police Service’s Anti-Gang Unit, Lieutenant-Colonel Charl Kinnear, used a cell phone tracking platform to stalk the officer in the months leading up to his murder. Killian and his co-accused have also

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November 20, 2024 No Comments
From The Source

Beware of banks requesting your location

Risks, the impact on your privacy and what you can do In recent times, a concerning trend has emerged among South African banks, particularly Capitec Bank and FNB, where customers are increasingly being prompted to enable location services when using their banking apps. Although the purported aim is to enhance security and assist in fraud prevention, consumers should be wary of the potential for privacy invasions and question how their location data is truly being

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November 14, 2024 No Comments