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).

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.

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.

1. 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.

2. Every Marketing SMS Should Include an Opt-Out Option

Recipients should be able to stop receiving future marketing messages quickly and easily.

Examples include:

Reply STOP to unsubscribe.
Reply OPT OUT to unsubscribe.
Visit a subscription management page.

Businesses should process unsubscribe requests promptly and avoid sending future promotional messages to recipients who have opted out.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

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.

Related Resources

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.

FREQUENCY ASKED QUESTIONS

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.