When you go into the marketplace and buy goods or services for cash or on credit, you are a consumer. When a seller agrees to sell goods or services and a consumer agrees to pay for these, they have entered into a contract. Consumer law is therefore all about contracts. Until recently, as a consumer in South Africa, the relationship between you (the consumer) and the company, was most often an unequal one – they drew up the contract which mostly benefited the company, and you either signed the agreement on their terms or you decided not to buy. The problem was that the next company also had a similar contract, so if you wanted the goods or services, you just had to agree to their terms.

There are many abusive practices against consumers in many industries, from overcharging to poor quality to overselling. However the laws have been revised into two acts, the National Credit Act, and the Consumer Protection Act, which are based on the international principles of the United Nations Consumer Rights and are designed to ensure consumers’ rights are respected. 
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All consumers should know their rights in these two laws.