The Office of the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud says efforts are being made to protect consumers’ rights within the online market space.

This was revealed by the organisation’s chief executive officer, Queen Munyai during the World Consumer Rights Day commemoration at the University of Mpumalanga’s Mbombela Campus.

The event was organized in collaboration with the National Consumer Commission, the Competition Commission of South Africa, and the Mpumalanga Economic Development and Tourism Department.

Munyai says they are currently engaging with various online market platforms to educate them about the country’s market legislations.

“We are in communication with suppliers that are selling online, like your Amazon, your Temu, and your Shein because those are the things that our consumers are preferring to buy from. So, in that space we’re also making sure that consumers are protected even in those spaces.

So, we are signing them up. Some of them have already signed up so that we can guide them in terms of the laws in South Africa. If they are selling here in South Africa, they have to adhere to the laws of the country.”

Meanwhile, consumers in Mpumalanga have shared their thoughts on consumers’ rights, inflation and the relaunch of the provincial consumer court.

“Our salary now is too low, and our employers they don’t pay enough money to buy food. The prices are too high, so, we can’t afford to buy food nowadays.”

“It depends on something I want to buy. If you go to the manager and negotiate, the manager will tell you the price is there, you must check the price and buy it if you have the money. If you don’t have the money you leave it.”

“The relaunch of the consumer court in Mpumalanga, it will encourage consumers to be free to buy knowing that they are able to get that recourse, so, which encourages economic growth. It also supports smme’s growth. Now I can go and buy from a small enterprise knowing that even if they are not going to provide me with the right product, I can go to the court and say this is what happened.”