The shift across the world appears to be towards the entrenchment of consumer rights. The trend has seen the introduction of new legislation to scupper unscrupulous manufacturers and better protect hapless consumers who often find themselves without legal remedy when faced with damage caused by the purchase of defective products.

The new Consumer Protection Act (due to be introduced into our law later this year) consolidates the rights of consumers and attempts to promote what has been termed a fair, accessible and sustainable market place for consumer products and services. The Act sets national standards for consumer protection and deals with the protection of consumers from injuries or hazards caused to such consumers from the sale of defective and inferior goods. The consumer's right to fair value, good quality and safety of products purchased will now be entrenched by the new legislation...

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Written by: Eric Levenstein, Director at Werksmans incorporating Jan S. de Villiers