South African consumers had their backs covered over the past year through the work of the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud - with more than 13 000 consumers collectively clawing back R12.9 million by lodging complaints with the Ombud regarding products and services that fell short of their promises.
The 2025/26 CGSO results showed a record year for complaints - up by 26% from the previous year - but its CEO, Queen Munyai raised concerns over consumers with valid claims who received nothing because suppliers failed to respond to try resolve their disputes.
The CGSO is an impartial and independent alternative dispute resolution scheme established under provisions of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA). It is mandated to mediate disputes between consumers and suppliers of goods and services, ensuring that industry players adhere to the Consumer Goods and Services Industry Code of Conduct.
Addressing stakeholders at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Westville Campus, Munyai cited the high number of non-compliant businesses, gaps in legislation that leave online shoppers exposed, and a geographical imbalance in consumer awareness as among barriers to redress.
"Every year we produce an annual report to account for our work to our stakeholders which include all the people in this room: the industry participants who fund us; the regulators who give us our mandate; the media who expose bad practice; our fellow ombud offices; the consumers of South Africa; and the law faculties who teach consumer law and produce the graduates who will one day advise clients on the Consumer Protection Act, the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, and POPIA. "On one level, this is an account of complaints received and closed. But it’s also an opportunity to reflect on what the data tells us about whether alternative dispute resolution is actuallydelivering redress, the limits of what it can achieve, and what we can do to ensure more clued-up consumers, better equipped to spot and avoid scams and unethical business practices," she said.
