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Empowering and Educating Consumers

Consumer Fair, a non-profit organization in South Africa, focuses on consumer advocacy and education. This conference aims to promote consumer rights and discuss issues related to affordable financial products, service delivery, and empowerment. The event will address the challenges faced by consumers in South Africa, including energy prices, unemployment, and poverty. The conference will also explore topics such as scams, credit reporting services, mobile phones, debt management, small business development, insurance, and health issues. Additionally, the conference will highlight initiatives like the Consumer Empowerment Fund and the NCF Academy, which provide financial education and training programs to consumers and small entrepreneurs. The event also aims to mobilize consumers around consumer issues and promote job creation and food safety.

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Empowering and Educating Consumers

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  1. Empowering and Educating Consumers African Consumer Protection Dialogue Conference Malawi 8 - 10 September 2014 T Bolani

  2. About Us • Consumer Fair is registered as a Non Profit Company in South Africa. Our registration number is 2012 / 189724 / 08. • We are a Full Member of Consumers International. • Since 1994 Consumer Fair has been dedicated to the protection and promotion of the rights of consumers in South Africa.

  3. Investment Fund Academy Printing House CONSUMER FAIR Consumer Fair Insurance Consumer Cooperative Advocacy

  4. Advocacy • Focus of advocacy • Access to affordable and quality financial products and services • Empowerment • Improved service delivery • There are little signs of growth in activism by consumers in South Africa • There are mainly two small consumer bodies in the country – Consumer Fair and SANCU • Consumers are under pressure – energy prices, highway tolling, food prices, unemployment, poverty, etc • Growth of black middle class has no impact Stokvels 800 000 with about 8.3 members About R 55b savings a year Unfortunately these are short term savings

  5. Consumer Education In 2003 there was little awareness of the rights available to consumers. A mentioned study found that 85% of respondents wanted more infrastructure on their rights as consumers. Need for growing consumer protection • Consumer Fair has a daily listenership of more than 1.3 m • According to AMPS 2010 A • 13% of adult population have internet access at home • 24% of metropolitan population have internet access at home • More people access internet on their mobile phones • Popular topics • Scams, e.g. pyramid schemes • Credit reporting services • Mobile phones • Debt management • Small business development • Financial services, e.g. insurance • Health issues

  6. Consumer Empowerment Fund • Consumer Fair facilitated establishment of investment fund affordable for all consumers with established investment company • Low costs for investing • Promotes savings and empowerment in the previously disadvantaged section of consumers • Fund promotes financial inclusion • Unbanked Consumers • R 12b under mattresses according to BASA survey 2010 • Perception is that banks are elitist, inaccessible and expensive • Fraud is major challenge • Savings • Total savings ratio is 16.1% of GDP of which household savings contributes less than 2% • Saving ratio needed is closer to 30% of GDP

  7. The NCF Academy was established in 2013 and is accredited by BANKSETA (accreditation No. 5577088) • The Academy aims to provide a range of high quality education and training programmes to consumers, small entrepreneurs and NGO’s. • Programmes available • Accredited financial education • Training for cooperatives • Investments and financial markets • Maths and science

  8. Consumer Cooperatives • The aim of the Consumer Fair Cooperative is to organize members • Mobilize members around consumer issues • Establishment of cooperative bank • Establish and maintain co-op insurance business • Promotion of food safety • Job creation • Others

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