South Africa’s Wireless Application Service Providers’ Association (WASPA) has secured the services of a dedicated compliance manager to oversee the department tasked with monitoring members’ products and services offered to cellular consumers.

WASPA’s over 400-members are required by the self-regulating industry body to advertise and provide their mobile content and applications services in accordance with its world-leading Code of Conduct.

The new head of WASPA’s Compliance Department, Tshepo Jeremia (Jerry) Maseko, joins the team that proactively evaluates activity by WASPA members to ensure they remain on the right side of the highly-regarded Code.

Ensuring that mobile content products and value-added services offered by WASPA members and their clients, are actively and continuously monitored, tested and checked for compliance with the provisions of the WASPA Code of Conduct, is a daily operational objective of the association’s compliance department.

It is this fastidiousness that has helped create consumer confidence in the country’s mobile content and applications industry since WASPA was founded with the full support of SA’s mobile network operators and other industry stakeholders almost two decades ago.

“WASPA welcomes Jerry to the compliance team and is delighted to have another world-class resource to help ensure that South African consumers can use mobile services with confidence,” says Ilonka Badenhorst, WASPA GM.

“I’m thrilled to be able to play a leading role in helping secure the long-term sustainability of an industry that contributes so much to the wider mobile industry and to the greater South African economy as a whole,” comments Maseko.

WASPA’s compliance department helps monitor the local WASP industry in an independent, objective and transparent manner. Any non-compliant conduct by members is documented, reported and escalated for immediate remedial action. This ensures that consumers are protected at all times and that mobile products and services in South Africa are provided in line with the required provisions of the WASPA industry Code.

“WASPA is interested in the longevity of the industry and continues to equip its compliance department with the resources, monitoring and regulatory tools needed to ensure members run campaigns that are sustainable. We want members to generate revenue long term, and the only way to keep balance sheets healthy into the future, is to ensure cellular users buy into the industry with confidence and trust,” Badenhorst concludes.