Couples lured by a fake “dream wedding” competition – and charged thousands to claim a prize that never existed – have finally seen some accountability.
The National Consumer Tribunal has ordered Lana-Jane de Jager, trustee of the Shabach Trust and producer of the reality TV show Droom Troue, to pay an administrative fine of R250 000 and refund seven victims a total of R265 550.
The Tribunal found that De Jager and Droom Troue contravened multiple sections of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) after deceiving couples into believing they had won a wedding valued at R500 000. To secure the prize, participants were told to pay a “commitment fee” ranging from R25 000 to R60 000.
In June and in September 2022, investigative journalist Devi Sankaree Govender exposed the shady practices behind the show on The Devi Show. What started as a promise of fairy-tale nuptials soon unravelled into a sordid tale of unpaid vendors, out-of-pocket brides, and a reality show that never aired.
The show invited couples to enter a televised wedding competition via social media and SMS – charging R5 per message – with the promise of winning a lavish ceremony. But the National Consumer Commission (NCC), which received complaints between August 2022 and April 2023, found that no real competition had been run. Instead, couples were falsely informed they had “won” and were pressured to pay the hefty upfront fees.
The Tribunal confirmed that De Jager violated section 36(2)(a)(i) of the CPA, which prohibits falsely informing consumers that they have won a competition when no such contest exists. Further, the show’s use of the term “entrants” in contracts gave the illusion of legitimacy to the fabricated process.
Even though there was no actual competition, the Tribunal found the participants met the definition of “consumers” under the Act, having taken part in what they believed was a legitimate process.
The Tribunal said De Jager and Droom Troue engaged in deceptive, misleading, and unconscionable conduct, in violation of section 4(5)(b) of the CPA. Their actions, it ruled, displayed “little or no regard” for the spirit and intent of consumer protection laws.
Acting NCC Commissioner Hardin Ratshisusu warned consumers to be cautious of offers that demand upfront payments.
“Consumers should be circumspect when participating in schemes with a promise of monetary returns or other benefits,” Ratshisusu said. “In this case, consumers were deceived and promised a dream wedding and robbed of their hard-earned cash. Importantly, this case affirms the role of the CPA in guarding against misleading schemes disguised as promotions targeted at consumers.”
