The Interactive Advertising Bureau South Africa (IAB SA) launched the South African Content Creator Charter, establishing guidelines for ethical partnerships between marketers and content creators. 

The initiative, developed by IAB SA’s Influencer Marketing Committee, aims to promote transparency and professionalism.

The Charter consists of two documents, one for marketers and another for content creators. 

Fundamental principles include fostering collaborative relationships, ensuring clear disclosure of brand partnerships, adhering to Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) guidelines, prohibiting misleading claims, and protecting user privacy.

“The Charter serves as a guiding document, outlining the principles and standards to help us build a more sustainable and trustworthy industry for creators and marketers,” said Sanesh Maharaj, member of the IAB SA Influencer Marketing Committee and Head of Influence at Ogilvy South Africa, in a news release.

ARB CEO Gail Schimmel endorsed the Charter, highlighting its focus on professionalizing influencer marketing and providing tools for ethical behavior.

Participating creators and marketers can publicly commit to the Charter’s principles by downloading a customizable template from the IAB South Africa website.

Several agencies and brands have adopted the Charter, including The Media Shop, Humanz, Dentsu, Ogilvy, Fluence Africa, DStv, Republic PR, Chimera Creative, and Special Effects Media.

Chris Borain, Acting CEO of IAB SA, highlighted the Charter’s role in building a more trustworthy industry for creators and marketers.

The Charter was officially launched on October 12 at the DStv Creator Awards in Johannesburg, an event celebrating the achievements of South African content creators.

According to a recent study, in South Africa, individuals spend most of their waking hours glued to a screen. The average South African spends 56.80% of their daily waking time looking at screens like phones, TVs, and computers.

In April, South African financial institution Nedbank unveiled an influencer marketing campaign to address the nation’s financial challenges. This was in response to a 2023 report revealing concerning findings about South Africans’ financial well-being.