When the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) came into effect in 2011, it introduced a number of changes to existing trade- and consumer practices, seeking to regulate consumer affairs more readily and protect consumer rights. One area in particular that the CPA has affected is that of product labelling and trade descriptions. What is a trade description? The CPA defines a trade description as: Any description, statement or direct or indirect indication other than a trademark as to – The number,...

With the Protection of Personal Information Act No 4 of 2013 becoming more and more part of our daily vocabulary, there are still many uncertainties regarding certain aspects of the Act. Many employees feel that the Act of the employer requesting information of a positive COVID-19 result or information from themselves, their spouses or persons they alleged to have been in contact with or live with are in contravention of the POPI act. In this article, the definition of Personal Information...

The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) is South Africa’s privacy legislation that came into effect on 1 July 2021. At its heart, the Act seeks to enhance the constitutional right to privacy, give data subjects some form of control over their personal information and ensure that organisations processing information do so in line with POPIA. The employer must abide to the POPIA by ensuring that clear policies and standard operating procedures guide employees on how to deal with...