South African SRO joins ICAS as full member

ICAS welcomes the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) of South Africa as full member of the International Council for Advertising Self-Regulation (ICAS)

Brussels, 24 January 2022, The Advertising Regulatory Board of South Africa, established in 2018, joined ICAS in 2019 as an associate member. ICAS members are delighted that the ARB has decided to become a full member of the international network in 2022, thus increasing ARB’s involvement in ICAS and playing a bigger role in its governance. 

The ARB is the independent self-regulatory body, set up and financed by the advertising and marketing industry in South Africa, committed to protecting consumers and ensuring responsible advertising. While the ARB was set up in its current form in November 2018, it took over the work of administering the Code of Advertising Practice of its predecessor organization, the ASA. It consequently builds on 50 years of advertising self-regulation in South Africa. 

The ARB and previously the ASA have been strong supporters of international cooperation in the field of advertising self-regulation and have been involved in the informal international network of SROs even before the formal launch of ICAS five years ago. We thus appreciate the expertise and knowledge the ARB and its CEO, Gail Schimmel, bring to ICAS and its members.

Guy Parker, ICAS President, stated:

In Africa, only South Africa can so far pride itself on having an established and well-functioning advertising self-regulatory system.  ARB is thus a role model for the continent and a vital partner for ICAS. We are proud that ARB has decided to strengthen its commitment to ICAS by becoming a full member. We look forward to even stronger cooperation that will certainly benefit the development of global advertising self-regulation.

Gail Schimmel, CEO of the ARB, said:

The support that ICAS has given to the ARB over the last few years is immeasurable in value. We hope, through full membership, to be able to give back to ICAS, as well as continuing to enjoy the enormous benefits that come from global information sharing and support.

Find out more about the ARB here.

For media inquiries, please contact Ms Sibylle Stanciu, ICAS Director, at +32 486 890250 or send us an email.