Africa: Consumer Protection

Nigeria's telecoms regulator has introduced a Framework for Compensation of Consumers that fundamentally shifts the burden of service quality enforcement from subscribers to mobile network operators. When network performance falls below prescribed thresholds in a defined geographic area, affected subscribers automatically receive compensation without filing complaints or navigating dispute channels.

The Nigerian Communications Commission has published Draft Business Rules establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework for Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), introducing structured onboarding processes, commercial agreement requirements, and dispute resolution mechanisms.

South African authorities have escalated their fight against counterfeit trade with a major enforcement operation in Bloemfontein that resulted in the seizure of over R5 million worth of fake goods. The coordinated action, involving multiple government agencies, confiscated thousands of items ranging from clothing and accessories to pharmaceuticals, underscoring the commercial and health threats posed by illicit trade networks.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in exercise of its functions under the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 (the Act), has published the Draft Business Rules for the Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) Licence in the Nigerian Communications sector. These Business Rules clarify key aspects of MVNO operations, including onboarding, integration, interconnection, numbering, SIM management, revenue sharing, quality of service, consumer obligations, eSIM onboarding, and the respective rights and limitations of each licensee.

ENSafrica's latest legal bulletin examines critical regulatory shifts across Africa, from South Africa's mandatory monthly opt-out cleansing under amended CPA rules to Rwanda's new VAT framework for cross-border digital services. The collection addresses constitutional interpretation in Ghana, AI policy governance failures, merger threshold updates, and emerging challenges in crypto regulation and prediction markets.

The recent judgment of the Federal High Court of Nigeria in Lifebridge Medical Diagnostic Centre Ltd v. FCCPC (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1019/2021) marks a significant development in Nigeria’s regulatory landscape...

The Supreme Court of Appeal has resolved a critical jurisdictional question affecting credit providers nationwide by clarifying whether the High Court retains authority to adjudicate shortfall claims after repossession and sale of goods under credit agreements.

The rapid expansion of digital lending platforms in Nigeria has significantly improved access to short-term consumer credit.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (the "FCCPC") has issued a public notice stipulating 5 January 2026 as the deadline for all digital lending operators...

There is a kind of low-key disillusionment that has crept into the legal profession. It’s not one big moment, it’s a build-up. You feel it in courtrooms where decisions don’t always seem purely reasoned...

The policy model – which is supported by the WIPO, the Algerian National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI) and the National Copyright and Related Rights Office (ONDA)...

On the night of 13 October 2014, two Grade 12 learners— B, aged 18, and O, aged 17 — drowned while attending a school revision camp. The camp had been organised to assist learners in their Matric examination preparation, and no provision had been made for swimming.