Members of the Direct Marketing Association of SA (DMASA) now have access to a handy online tool-kit that assesses their compliance with the Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act in minutes.
By clicking on https://dmasacomplianceportal.org/DMASA and answering a series of questions, DMASA members can quickly determine if they will be able to rest easy in the run-up to the POPI Act deadline of 1 July 2021.
“This new online tool-kit is key to our Data Protection Compliance Programme (DPCP) which aims to ensure our members convert good intentions to actual compliance,” says David Dickens, DMASA CEO.
In addition to the new online POPI Act risk assessment tool-kit, the DPCP also offers online training opportunities and enables the automated generation of necessary compliance documentation.
The DMASA is the continent’s most established non-profit dedicated to the sustainable development of the Integrated and Direct Marketing (IDM) industry.
“We’ve spent 15 years evangelising the necessity of good business practises that respect the consumer’s information. The DMASA sees the July 2021 POPI Act compliance deadline as another positive and key milestone in the journey towards a mature and sustainable IDM industry,” Dickens says.
Seven years after it came before Parliament, the bulk of South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act 4 of 2013 recently came into force. The aim of the legislation is to ensure the collection, management and protection of personal information is regulated and done in a manner which prevents misuse while respecting the rights of information owners.
Compliance with its provisions around the processing of personal information, and specific stipulations related to the direct marketing industry, is no longer optional but essential. Furthermore, the envisaged Information Regulator is now a reality
“Practical tools go a long way towards ensuring POPI Act compliance and the DMASA is pleased to be playing its part,” concludes Dickens.
The DMASA is recognised by the National Consumer Commission which enables it to manage consumer complaints within the direct marketing space on behalf of over 300 members. Since its 2005 founding, DMASA members have also benefitted from lobbying activities which have helped influence policy around integrated and direct marketing.