The National Credit Regulator, the City of Johannesburg and Metro police recently removed unlawful adverts from lampposts, traffic lights and traffic signs in Midrand.
Manager for investigations and enforcement at the credit regulator, Jacqueline Peters, said the initiative, which took place on 26 August, is in line with the regulator’s Misleading Advertising Campaign, which aims to educate the public about misleading advertising practices. She said, “The National Credit Act is quite clear on the required content for advertisements. Certain words and phrases are prohibited in credit adverts.”
The following statements, phrases and wording may not form part of any advertisement:
- No credit checks required
- Blacklisted consumers welcome
- Free credit.
“Despite these clear regulations, we still find a substantial number of these unlawful adverts of this kind, even in the mainstream media. The credit regulator is engaging in a concerted effort to eliminate these unlawful adverts. This will not only affect flyers and posters, but will also affect unlawful adverts in the mainstream media,” concluded Peters.
Details: www.ncr.org.za
