A Renewed Shift to WhatsApp with an Increase in Spam Calls
Mobile voice calling in South Africa has been under pressure in recent years, driven by the rise of data and messaging apps – and now a relentless onslaught of spam calls is threatening to make the phone call obsolete.
Lately, when an unknown number appears, the call goes unanswered. That level of distrust between people threatens to chip away at the very value proposition that voice once held for families, businesses, customer support, and networking.
Here’s what every business owner needs to know about spam voice calls and how to migrate to alternatives like WhatsApp safely.
Spam calls shine a spotlight on sales and telemarketing
There’s no doubt that the sales industry has a role to play in the explosion of ‘robo’ calls in markets around the world, with SA being no exception.
Telemarketers and call centres have evolved their tactics to exploit human behaviour and system loopholes. They now rely heavily on strategies like these:
- Mobile number spoofing and misuse: Instead of using obvious 087 or landline numbers (which almost always get rejected), spammers now present calls as mobile numbers to increase pickup rates.
- SIM rotation / burner tactics: Prepaid SIMs are cycled out as soon as flags are raised, enabling mass dialling operations to persist.
- Regulatory arbitrage (“policy stretching”): Some, especially brazen companies, push the boundaries of “fair use” policies, or use minimal effort to appear compliant while continuing intrusive practices.
In the face of rising spam calls, companies and individuals are seeking ways to opt out of nuisance communications which have the potential to be used for social engineering attacks. But navigating your legal options can be tricky.
Blocking Spam: The regulatory puzzle
Ridding your company or personal device of spam communications isn’t as easy as flicking a switch.
Networks including Vodacom say they can’t analyse the content of calls without breaching interception laws under RICA. As the country’s oldest network put it, distinguishing spam via content inspection would amount to “unlawful interception.”
Meanwhile, regulators are scrambling to catch up. Upgrades to the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), effective April 2025, now explicitly target direct marketing abuses. Some of the key changes include:
- Telemarketers must record telephonic consent on first contact—even with automated systems—and make those recordings available to consumers on demand.
- “Opt-out” no longer qualifies as valid consent. Marketers must obtain explicit opt-in consent before contacting non-customers.
- Consent records must be stored, auditable, and accessible.
- Consumers gain stronger rights to request deletion, correction, or objection of their personal data, with prompt response obligations (within 30 days).
- A mandatory e-portal was introduced to report data breaches and spam complaints, with the aim of improving transparency and regulatory response.
These changes are intended to tilt the balance in favour of consumers. But critics warn that enforcement is still uneven, and spammers adapt faster than the law can intervene. As a result, South Africans are ignoring calls completely and switching to platforms like Whatsapp.
Switching to WhatsApp safely in the age of spam calls
With Spam calls turning users away from traditional telephonic communications, WhatsApp is emerging as the natural alternative.
But simply using the app without taking the necessary precautions could be like going from the frying pan to the fire: WhatsApp is also vulnerable to certain types of cyberattacks.
Recent reports show that even with apps like Truecaller and built-in filters, spam calls slip through at alarming rates. In one test, up to 90% of calls to a South African number were spam.
To complicate matters further, Truecaller itself is under investigation for alleged POPIA violations, raising big questions about the credibility of third party apps.
With spam overwhelming voice channels and regulation still lagging, many individuals and businesses are moving their primary communications to apps like WhatsApp. But while WhatsApp provides more control over who can reach you, it is not immune to cybercrime.
Criminals have been known to hijack accounts, distribute phishing links, and impersonate trusted contacts.
Using WhatsApp securely
If you’re making the switch, take steps to harden your security:
- Enable two-step verification: Add a PIN to protect your account from SIM-swap attacks.
- Lock your app: Use biometric or device-level passwords so nobody can access chats if your phone is stolen.
- Stay alert to phishing: Don’t click on suspicious links or open unknown attachments, even from familiar numbers.
- Verify business accounts: Look for the green tick badge on official business profiles to avoid imposters.
- Backup carefully: Enable encrypted backups but store them securely to avoid exposing chat histories.
- Limit group exposure: Review who can add you to groups, reducing your chances of being pulled into spam or scam groups.
- Educate staff: Train employees on secure use of WhatsApp, including how to spot social engineering attempts.
Now is the time for comprehensive data security
With spam calls and the risk of cybercrime making it difficult, if not impossible, to do something as simple as accept a phone call, it has never been clearer that our digital world is becoming less secure.
Fortunately, for every innovation cybercriminals develop to steal your data, there is a powerful tool available from Soteria, in partnership with Acronis, to help keep your valuable files safe and encrypted in the cloud.
Businesses that decide to switch their communications exclusively to app-based platforms will need to ensure that data transferred via these channels is properly backed up.
A turnkey solution like File Sync and Share with Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud could be the ideal choice for any business migrating to fully digital communications in 2025 with backup and recovery, anti-malware, endpoint protection management and file sharing.
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