Truecaller in South Africa officially unveiled Victor Matfield and Mpoomy Ledwaba as its new brand ambassadors at an intimate media event held in Johannesburg. The announcement forms part of the broader “Trust the Real Ones” campaign, a movement focused on rebuilding trust in communication in a country where spam, scams, and digital uncertainty are increasingly shaping how people connect.
The media event was held in Johannesburg, where industry leaders, media, and partners gathered to unpack the simple but increasingly urgent reality of growing spam and scams, and decreasing digital trust.
From Missed Calls to Missed Trust
Opening the event, broadcaster Relebogile Mabotja captured a feeling most South Africans know all too well: “You see an unknown number, and for a second, you hesitate. That moment of doubt, that’s what we’re here to change.”
Truecaller Ambassadors Reveal
With scams becoming more sophisticated and widespread, everyday moments, such as answering a call from a recruiter, a hospital, or a courier service, are now often clouded by suspicion.
Victor Matfield: The Defensive Playbook
For Matfield, the partnership is about strategy, not fear. Drawing parallels from professional sport, Matfield positioned digital safety as a matter of strategy. “In rugby, you don’t wait for the hit; you read the game. You win by reading patterns and preparing for threats before they happen. Scammers operate the same way. With the right tools and information, South Africans can stay one step ahead,” Matfield commented. Positioning the app as a form of digital defence, Matfield sees his role as helping South
Africans think more tactically about their safety.
Mpoomy Ledwaba: Protecting the Home.
For Ledwaba, it’s about family and communities. “Our phones are part of how we care for our families. But when that same phone becomes a source of anxiety, it changes how we live. I want families to feel confident again, to know when to answer and when not to. Truecaller helps families answer with confidence and protect what matters most.”
She emphasised that protecting yourself digitally is no longer optional, it’s part of modern day household management.
A Shared Mission: Rebuilding Trust
South Africa remains one of the most affected countries globally by spam and scam activity, with more than 30 billion spam calls recorded in 2025 alone. Against this backdrop, Truecaller’s latest campaign, “Trust the Real Ones,” seeks to empower South Africans with the tools and confidence to answer the right calls and ignore the rest.
At the centre of the campaign is a simple idea: trust can be rebuilt together. Mmathebe Zvobwo, Director: Market Development, South Africa at Truecaller, explained that the platform’s strength lies in its community. “At Truecaller, we believe communication is only as powerful as the trust behind it. Every time someone flags a suspicious call, they’re doing more than protecting themselves; they’re protecting millions of others. That’s the power of collective action.”
With over 450 million users globally, Truecaller is positioning itself not just as a tool, but as a community-driven movement, a digital neighborhood watch helping people make safer decisions every day.
More Than an App, A New Way to Answer
The partnership with Matfield and Ledwaba marks a shift in how Truecaller shows up in South Africa: not just as a technology platform, but as a trusted companion in everyday life. Because in a world where scams are rising and uncertainty is the norm, knowing who’s calling isn’t just convenient; it’s essential.
