
Should South Africa tighten influencer rules? Lessons from China’s new certification laws
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GUEST: Gail Schimmel - CEO of the Advertising Regulatory Board.
China has just introduced sweeping new rules requiring influencers to prove formal training or credentials before they can post about sensitive topics like medicine, law, or finance. It’s a move that blurs the line between free speech and professional responsibility and it’s turning heads in the global influencer economy.
In South Africa, where the influencer marketing industry is booming and regulation often plays catch-up, this raises a critical question: Should we be doing more to verify who gets to influence?
China has just introduced sweeping new rules requiring influencers to prove formal training or credentials before they can post about sensitive topics like medicine, law, or finance. It’s a move that blurs the line between free speech and professional responsibility and it’s turning heads in the global influencer economy.
In South Africa, where the influencer marketing industry is booming and regulation often plays catch-up, this raises a critical question: Should we be doing more to verify who gets to influence?

