“The best way to keep the local mobile content and applications industry self-regulating is to keep doing a good job balancing the interests of our members with the interests of the country’s over 35 million active mobile users,” says Ilonka Badenhorst, general manager of Waspa.
Waspa’s self-regulating status offers the South African mobile consumer real protection and tangible benefits that any statutory body would be hard-pressed to provide, especially in the current climate of failing state-owned enterprises and similar.
From the efficient monitoring, implementation and enforcement of effective subscription fraud protection measures such as the Double Opt-In system and the following of fraud prevention best practice guidelines, to the Waspa Code of Conduct; South Africa’s mobile content and applications industry regulator is a significant country asset.
Keeping it so requires constant stakeholder vigilance so Waspa can continue to deliver the following benefits to South African consumers:
Keeping its self-regulating status intact means Waspa pulls out all the stops to be transparent.
For example, Waspa manages a consumer complaints process to ensure that all users of WASP services have a single point where they can raise concerns and resolve complaints. In addition, Waspa ensures feedback is provided to the consumer during the resolution process.
For example, knowing that overseas-based mobile fraudsters were making their presence felt worldwide, Waspa proactively reached out to leaders in the field and developed a relationship with French anti-fraud firm Evina following an objective tender process.
Members, for example, pay membership fees in order to sustain Waspa as a self-regulating industry body that helps ensure the long-term sustainability of the industry. A limited supply of capital also means that Waspa operates as a lean organisation where the delivery and receipt of good value is prioritised.