How to Outsmart Festive Season Scammers – Truecaller’s Guide to Safer Calls in SA.

Loading player...
GUEST – Mmathebe Zvobwo, Director of Market Development for Truecaller South Africa

The festive season may bring joy, travel and celebration but it’s also open season for scammers. As South Africans reconnect with loved ones, spend more, expect deliveries and wrap up the year, scam activity spikes dramatically. From fake courier messages and bank impersonation calls to holiday rental fraud and bogus competitions, scammers exploit the chaos and the emotional pressure of December.

We sit down with Mmathebe Zvobwo, Truecaller’s Director of Market Development for South Africa, for a conversation on how consumers can protect themselves from the surge in fraud that grips the country every festive season.

Mmathebe breaks down the most common scams South Africans face, explains why the country is such a hotspot for fraudsters, and shows how tools like Truecaller’s AI-powered scam detection, Verified Business Caller ID, and community-driven reporting are helping millions of users take the guesswork out of answering their phones.
11 Dec 2025 3PM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

Opportunities and Risks in the Global Commodity Rally

Oil, copper and agricultural commodities are rallying as geopolitical tensions, climate pressures and energy-transition demand reshape global markets. Kaya Biz speaks to Simon Lacoume of Coface about the opportunities for South Africa's mining sector and the risks posed by rising inflation and food prices
27 Oct 1PM 15 min

African Bank's Next Chapter: From Turnaround to Growth

African Bank has spent years transforming itself from a specialist unsecured lender into a diversified retail and commercial banking group. Kaya Biz speaks to Chairman Thabo Dloti about the bank's evolution, the lessons learned from its acquisition-led growth strategy, leadership stability, and whether African Bank is finally entering the value-creation…
27 Oct 12PM 23 min

Pick n Pay trims it’s first half loss over 30%

Pick n Pay’s latest interim results point to encouraging signs in one of South Africa’s most closely watched retail recovery stories. CEO Sean Summers joins Kaya Biz to discuss improved profitability, Boxer’s standout performance, online sales growth, labour restructuring and the milestones investors should watch as the turnaround plan moves…
26 Oct 1PM 16 min

Beyond the Mini-Budget Speech 2026: Decoding Treasury’s Signals

The Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement offers one of the clearest snapshots of South Africa’s fiscal health and economic trajectory. We speak to Deloitte Africa’s Le Roux Roelofse about the key takeaways from Treasury’s latest projections, whether the country is striking the right balance between fiscal discipline and growth, and what…
26 Oct 12PM 16 min

The Mental Health Cost of Financial Stress

Financial stress has emerged as one of the biggest threats to South Africans' mental wellbeing. Dr Rachel Moore, Chief Medical Officer at Mediclinic Southern Africa, discusses the psychological impact of economic pressure, barriers to accessing mental healthcare and what can be done to reduce stigma and improve support.
22 Oct 2PM 12 min