Keeping up with regulatory change is a full-time job, so we do it for you. Each week, our Gazette Watch briefing tracks the Government Gazette, and our Newsflash covers the legal and regulatory news that affects South African businesses. Here’s what stood out in this edition.
NEW COMPLIANCE TOOLS THIS WEEK
This edition, subscribers received two detailed guides with practical tools:
- Consumer Protection Act: The National Consumer Commission has published draft guidelines that would require every product to be labelled, every displayed price to include VAT and all fees, and a receipt for every sale. Our guide explains what’s changing and includes a step-by-step compliance checklist and a downloadable Supplier Compliance Checklist.
- Tax Administration Act: Our 2026 compliance programme covers the amendments now in force, current interest rates and filing deadlines, upcoming changes, and practical steps to protect your rights when dealing with SARS.
GAZETTE WATCH HIGHLIGHTS
- Chinese imports: The pre-export verification directive for certain Chinese imports has been withdrawn with immediate effect.
- Spectrum: The WOAN spectrum reservation has been withdrawn, opening up 700, 800, 2600 and 3500 MHz spectrum for licensing.
- Maritime: Draft oil-spill regulations carry penalties of up to R35 million, and a separate draft proposes a new pollution-response levy on vessels, oil-handling facilities and offshore installations.
- Tourist transport: Draft land transport amendments overhaul accreditation and licensing and introduce new fees.
- Competition: The Competition Commission has referred a cartel case against Builders City to the Competition Tribunal.
NEWSFLASH HIGHLIGHTS
- FIC records: The SCA has ruled that FIC records, such as suspicious transaction reports, can’t be used as evidence in litigation. This is welcome news for all accountable institutions.
- Food safety: The NCC has inspected 777 suppliers in its food-safety crackdown, which ties in closely with the new labelling and pricing guidelines.
- Data breaches: The Information Regulator will engage the Gauteng government over the unreported e-Panic Button data breach, a timely reminder of every organisation’s duty under POPIA to report security compromises.
- Advertising: OUTsurance has been ordered to pull its Cape Town radio ads after the Advertising Regulatory Board found its pointsmen claims misleading.
- SARS scams: Scammers are using AI to impersonate SARS ahead of the filing deadline. Remind your teams to access eFiling directly and never through emailed links.
- Also on the radar: Proposed medico-legal reforms, Cape Town’s short-term rental by-law and the Insourcing Bill.
DEADLINES TO DIARISE
- 5 October: Comments due on ITAC’s draft Administrative Fees Guidelines
- 14 October: Representations due on extending the pharmaceutical sector collective agreement
- 16 October: Comments due on SARS’s proposed digital VAT e-invoicing system
- 23 October: SARS filing deadline for non-provisional individual taxpayers
- 23 October (recommended; formal deadline 26 October): Comments due on the draft land transport amendments
- 28 October: Comments due on the electricity market transformation and pricing policy documents
- 2 November: Comments due on the NCC labelling, pricing and receipts guidelines
- 24 November: Comments due on the Upper Orange River water resource classes
- 22 January 2027: Filing deadline for provisional taxpayers and trusts
Stay ahead of regulatory change
Sample copies of this week’s Gazette_Watch_Highlights_18-25_September_2026 and Newsflash_Highlights_23_September-02_October_2026 are attached below for you to view.
This summary is provided for monitoring and awareness purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please confirm the source text before acting.
Subscribers receive the full documents each week, with detailed analysis of every item, including the legal basis, practical implications and recommended actions.
Need hands-on support? Our team can help you draft public comments, run a pricing and labelling audit, or update your legal register and compliance matrices.
Contact us on admin@compliancetools.co.za or 011 476 3217 (ext 2)