About WASPA

WASPA was initially formed in 2004... as a voluntary self-regulatory body with a remit of representing and self-regulating mobile-based value added services providers, otherwise known as WASPs.

It now has over 250 members, while membership of WASPA has been made compulsory by Vodacom, MTN and CellC as a condition of them providing services to WASPs.

WASPAs Code of Conduct and Advertising rules were developed and implemented in 2005. It has developed a complaints handling process to enforce these rules that is totally independent of the WASPA Management Committee. Anyone may lodge a complaint and each complainant is given a reference number.

Complaints are handled by an independent secretariat who process complaints using a mandated civil procedure scheme, while some 13 independent ICT lawyers and a 3-person appeals panel of ICT lawyers adjudicate the complaints lodged with the secretariat. An emergency panel of three WASPA adjudicators may sit to shut down services pending a formal adjudication where there is evidence of immediate and ongoing consumer harm.

These lawyers may adjudicate on any matter related to the WASPA Code of Conduct where a complaint has been lodged. All completed adjudications are posted publically on the WASPA web site. The adjudicators may sanction any infraction, which may include fines, suspensions, remedies, refunds, expulsion, or any combination thereof.

WASPA also has two media monitors who check advertising daily and test all services on a daily basis for compliance with its rules.

WASPA is also a prominent member of the International Audiotext regulators Association (http://www.iarn.org).