BusinessTech reports that according to the Direct Marketing Association of SA (DMASA), the current draft regulations relating to the Protection of Personal Information Act (PoPI) could significantly harm jobs in direct marketing.  

CEO David Dickens highlighted the important role that direct marketing played in the economy and said that recent research conducted across the DMASA membership showed that it contributed substantially to both the economy and fiscus, providing numerous jobs.  “Members of DMASA – and there are many, many non-members (as well) – employ between 45,000 and 92,000 people, of whom 26% are under 25 years old.  Moreover, 50% of their employees are employed in call centres,” he indicated.  Dickens added that the majority of these young people and/or call centre staff were likely to hold only a matric, and so were economically vulnerable.  He pointed to two specific regulations which would likely cause the most damage.  The first would permit companies to only communicate with individuals who have previously opted into receiving such communications.  Secondly, the draft regulation proposed the use of an extremely detailed form, which would have the effect of greatly reducing the chances that it would be filled out at all.

• Read this report in full at BusinessTech

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