POPIA and WhatsApp marketing for small businesses

The core rule

Section 69 of POPIA restricts unsolicited electronic direct marketing to individuals unless they've consented or are existing customers. Treat every cold message as a request for permission, not a sales pitch.

Practical do's

• Contact publicly listed business numbers, not personal ones
• Say who you are and why you're reaching out
• Ask before sending more information
• Honour every opt-out immediately and record it

Practical don'ts

• Buying contact lists
• Adding people to broadcast lists without consent
• Repeated follow-ups after no reply