WASPA Code of Conduct

The Wireless Application Service Providers’ Association (WASPA) Code of Conduct helps establish standards for responsible mobile messaging in South Africa. The WASPA Code of Conduct South Africa promotes consumer protection, transparency, privacy, and ethical communication practices for businesses that use SMS messaging services.

If your business sends Bulk SMS Campaigns, promotional messages, appointment reminders, notifications, One-Time PIN (OTP) messages, or customer updates, understanding the principles of the WASPA Code of Conduct can help you communicate responsibly, improve customer trust, and support compliance with industry best practices.

For additional information regarding the Code of Conduct, visit the official WASPA website:
Wireless Application Service Providers’ Association (WASPA).

1. What is WASPA?

The Wireless Application Service Providers’ Association (WASPA) is South Africa’s industry body for mobile messaging and related services. WASPA promotes responsible business practices and provides guidelines designed to protect consumers while supporting legitimate business communication.

The WASPA Code of Conduct encourages transparency, consumer protection, responsible marketing practices, complaint resolution procedures, and ethical communication standards throughout the mobile messaging industry.

Although WASPA membership is voluntary, many reputable SMS service providers follow the WASPA Code of Conduct because it promotes responsible messaging practices, protects consumers and helps build trust between businesses and their customers.

2. What Do I Need to Know Before Sending Bulk SMS Messages?

Before sending SMS marketing campaigns, businesses should understand the importance of consent, unsubscribe mechanisms, sender identification, customer privacy, and appropriate communication times.

Consent Matters

Recipients should generally have a reasonable expectation of receiving communications from your business. Consent may be obtained when a customer:

Subscribes to marketing communications.
Completes an online enquiry form.
Joins a loyalty programme.
Requests information about products or services.
Becomes a customer and agrees to receive communications.

Maintaining records of how contact information was obtained is considered a best practice and can help demonstrate responsible marketing practices.

Every Marketing SMS Should Include an Opt-Out Option

Recipients should be provided with a simple way to unsubscribe from future marketing SMS messages. SMS South Africa automatically recognises common opt-out responses, including STOP, OPT OUT, REMOVE, UNSUBSCRIBE, DELETE, QUIT and SPAM, helping businesses manage unsubscribe requests efficiently. We process unsubscribe requests promptly to help prevent future promotional messages being sent from the same SMS South Africa account to recipients who have opted out.

Note: Transactional SMS messages, such as one-time PIN (OTP) messages, appointment reminders, booking confirmations, payment notifications and delivery updates, generally DO NOT require an unsubscribe option because they are not promotional communications.

Prohibited Times for Direct SMS Marketing

Direct marketing SMS messages should not be sent during certain restricted periods.

Not on Sundays.
Not on South African public holidays.
Not before 08:00 or after 20:00 on weekdays.
Not before 09:00 or after 13:00 on Saturdays.

Sending messages during reasonable business hours helps improve customer experience, increase engagement rates, and reduce the likelihood of complaints.

Clearly Identify Your Business

Recipients should immediately know who is contacting them. SMS messages should clearly identify the sender and provide relevant information about the communication.

For example:

SMS South Africa: Save 20% on your next order. Reply STOP to unsubscribe.

Recipients should always be provided with a simple way to unsubscribe from future marketing messages. SMS South Africa automatically recognises common opt-out responses, including STOP, OPT OUT, REMOVE, UNSUBSCRIBE, DELETE, QUIT and SPAM, helping businesses manage unsubscribe requests efficiently.

Protect Customer Information

Businesses should take reasonable steps to safeguard customer information and use personal data responsibly. Secure handling of customer information helps build trust and supports compliance with privacy requirements.

Businesses should also familiarise themselves with South Africa’s privacy legislation and best practices for handling personal information.

3. Best Practice Checklist

Obtain appropriate consent.
Include a simple opt-out mechanism.
Respect unsubscribe requests.
Send messages during permitted times.
Clearly identify your business.
Protect customer information.
Keep customer databases up to date.
Provide relevant and valuable content.

4. How SMS South Africa Helps You Manage SMS Opt-Outs

Complying with the WASPA Code of Conduct requires businesses to provide recipients with a simple and effective way to stop receiving future marketing SMS messages. SMS South Africa includes a built-in Opt-Out Management System that automatically processes unsubscribe requests, helping businesses manage customer preferences while supporting compliance with SMS marketing best practices.

The Opt-Out feature is included with every SMS South Africa account and is enabled by default. No additional configuration or setup is required.

Automatic SMS Opt-Out Processing

When a recipient replies to one of your SMS marketing messages using a recognised opt-out phrase, SMS South Africa automatically records the request and adds the mobile number to your account’s Opt-Out List.

This helps businesses reduce the risk of sending future marketing messages to recipients who have chosen to unsubscribe and makes managing SMS compliance significantly easier.

SMS Opt-Out Keywords

SMS South Africa automatically recognises a wide range of unsubscribe responses, including:

STOP
OPT OUT
REMOVE
UNSUBSCRIBE
DELETE
QUIT
SPAM

The platform also recognises common variations and other responses that clearly indicate a recipient no longer wishes to receive marketing messages.

Built-In Opt-Out Management Tools

The SMS South Africa platform provides a complete set of tools for managing SMS unsubscribe requests, including:

Search for any mobile number within your Opt-Out List.
View the complete opt-out history for individual recipients.
Manually add single numbers to your Opt-Out List.
Bulk import existing suppression lists. This makes it easy to migrate from another SMS provider while preserving your existing unsubscribe records.
Remove numbers from your Opt-Out List when appropriate.
Download your Opt-Out List in your preferred file format for reporting or compliance purposes. Downloaded reports can be used for internal record keeping, auditing and compliance documentation.

These tools provide businesses with complete visibility and control over their SMS marketing suppression lists.

SMS South Africa Opt-Out Features

Automatic opt-out processing
No setup required
Built-in unsubscribe management
Automatic suppression lists
Search opted-out numbers
View complete opt-out history
Import existing suppression lists
Download opt-out reports
Remove opt-outs when required
Designed to support WASPA compliance

Opt-Outs Are Managed Per Account

SMS South Africa manages opt-out requests on a per-account basis by default. When a recipient unsubscribes from messages sent by a specific account, the opt-out is applied only to that account’s Opt-Out List. This is particularly useful for organisations with multiple brands, departments or agencies, allowing each account to manage its own subscriber preferences independently.

5. Helping Businesses Stay Compliant

Maintaining accurate opt-out records is an important part of responsible SMS marketing. SMS South Africa helps businesses manage unsubscribe requests efficiently by automatically recording opt-outs and providing easy access to suppression lists whenever required.

While businesses remain responsible for complying with the WASPA Code of Conduct and applicable legislation, SMS South Africa provides practical tools that simplify unsubscribe management, reduce administrative effort and help support responsible SMS marketing practices.

6. Related SMS Compliance Resources

7. Manage SMS Compliance with Confidence

SMS South Africa’s Bulk SMS platform includes built-in opt-out management, suppression lists, campaign reporting and business messaging tools designed to help you manage SMS communications efficiently. Whether you’re sending marketing campaigns, appointment reminders or transactional notifications, our platform provides the tools you need to communicate responsibly.

FAQ: WASPA Code of Conduct

Is consent required before sending bulk SMS messages?

Businesses should ensure recipients have a reasonable expectation of receiving communications from them. Maintaining records of consent is considered a best practice.

Do marketing SMS messages need an opt-out option?

Yes. Recipients should be provided with a simple method to stop receiving future marketing messages, such as replying STOP or OPT OUT.

Can I send SMS marketing messages at any time?

No. Direct marketing SMS messages should only be sent during permitted times and should not be sent on Sundays or South African public holidays.

What is the purpose of the WASPA Code of Conduct?

The WASPA Code of Conduct promotes responsible mobile messaging practices, consumer protection, transparency, and ethical business communication in South Africa.

What is the difference between WASPA and POPIA?

WASPA provides industry guidelines and standards for mobile messaging services, while POPIA focuses on the lawful processing and protection of personal information.

What types of SMS messages can businesses send?

Businesses use SMS messaging for (1) promotional, (2) transactional and (3) customer service communications. Promotional SMS messages are used for marketing campaigns, while transactional SMS messages provide important information relating to a customer’s account, order, booking or interaction with a business. Examples include OTP verification codes, order confirmations, payment confirmations, appointment reminders, booking confirmations, delivery notifications, password reset messages and account alerts.

How does SMS South Africa process SMS opt-outs?

SMS South Africa includes a built-in Opt-Out Management System that automatically records unsubscribe requests when recipients reply using recognised opt-out phrases. The recipient’s mobile number is then added to your account’s Opt-Out List to help prevent future marketing messages from being sent.

Which SMS opt-out keywords are recognised?

The platform automatically recognises common unsubscribe phrases including STOP, OPT OUT, REMOVE, UNSUBSCRIBE, DELETE, QUIT and SPAM, together with common variations that clearly indicate a recipient wishes to stop receiving marketing SMS messages.

Can I manually add numbers to my Opt-Out List?

Yes. Businesses can manually add individual mobile numbers or bulk import existing suppression lists directly from within the SMS South Africa platform.

Can I search for an opted-out mobile number?

Yes. The platform allows you to search your Opt-Out List to quickly determine whether a specific mobile number has previously unsubscribed from your SMS marketing messages.

Can I download my SMS Opt-Out List?

Yes. Your complete Opt-Out List can be downloaded in your preferred file format, making it easy to maintain records and support internal compliance processes.

Can I remove someone from the Opt-Out List?

Yes. If appropriate, authorised users can remove individual mobile numbers from the Opt-Out List directly within the SMS South Africa platform.

Does SMS South Africa automatically add recipients to my Opt-Out List?

Yes. When a recipient replies using a recognised unsubscribe phrase, SMS South Africa automatically records the opt-out and adds the mobile number to your account’s Opt-Out List. No additional setup or manual processing is required.

Bulk SMS Services South Africa

SMS South Africa provides reliable and affordable Bulk SMS Services for businesses across South Africa. Whether you need SMS marketing campaigns, appointment reminders, customer notifications, transactional messaging, or OTP verification messages, our platform makes business messaging simple, effective, and scalable.