- The Advertising Regulatory Board partially upheld a complaint against Legacy Builders and Rooi Kwagga Digital.
- The Directorate found no evidence supporting claims that consumers could earn between R1 600 and R92 000 a month.
- ARB members have been told not to accept advertising with these earnings claims until they are independently substantiated.
An 18-page promotional brochure for the Legacy Builders programme told prospective customers they could earn between R1 600 and R92 000 a month, work for as little as two hours a day, and build what was described as an automated online business.
The complaint stemmed from an 18-page promotional brochure that marketed the Legacy Builders programme as a ready-made online business capable of generating substantial monthly income.
On its cover, the brochure asked: "What if you could earn R30 000 p.m. extra online?" alongside an image of a man using a laptop while lying on a beach. It also claimed that more than 7 500 people in South Africa and 58 000 worldwide were using the programme to earn dollars online with a cellphone, Wi-Fi and a computer in just two hours a day because an "automatic system" worked for them around the clock.
Inside, the brochure presented six earning "options", suggesting participants could earn between R1 600 and R92 000 a month depending on the programme they purchased. It also indicated that customers could upgrade to more lucrative packages by paying the difference, while another page suggested earning $900 four times would generate "R60 000 p.m."
Those promises have now come under scrutiny, with the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) finding that the company did not provide any evidence to show the advertised earnings were achievable.
In a ruling issued on 30 July 2026, the ARB Directorate partially upheld a consumer complaint against Legacy Builders and Rooi Kwagga Digital, concluding that the programme's income claims broke the Code of Advertising Practice as they were not substantiated.
Complaint questioned extraordinary earnings
The complaint focused on the brochure's repeated claims that consumers could generate substantial monthly income by joining the programme. Among the challenged statements were promises that participants could earn an extra R30 000 a month online. Another section offered a range of monthly earning "options" from R1 600 to R92 000, depending on the programme chosen.
The complainant argued that the advertising made the income seem realistic and attainable, even though there was no evidence that customers actually reached those results. She also noted that the brochure gave the impression people could start earning almost immediately, though participants first had to complete several weeks of training.
Legacy Builders did not respond to the complaint or provide any material to back up its advertising claims. Even so, the Directorate went ahead with the matter, saying it was obliged to consider the complaint for the guidance of its members.
Directorate separates training from earnings
The Directorate separated the complainant's two main arguments. On the question of training, the Directorate found that the brochure repeatedly mentioned e-learning modules, coaching, community support and a 30-day classroom programme. Taken as a whole, the Directorate decided that consumers were sufficiently informed that they would have to complete training before making any income.
"The booklet calls this a 'programme' and makes it clear that learning modules need to be completed," the ruling states. It added that "a reasonable person would understand this to mean you have to learn how to do the work before you start earning from it."
For that reason, the Directorate rejected the claim that the advertising misled consumers into thinking they could start earning immediately without training.
No evidence for the promises
The Directorate reached a very different conclusion when it looked at the income claims at the heart of the marketing campaign. It found that Legacy Builders could not prove the extraordinary income promises at the centre of its advertising. The claims that consumers could earn between R1 600 and R92 000 a month were not backed by any evidence.
While the Directorate accepted that the brochure made it clear participants would need to complete training first, it found that the advertiser had not produced any credible proof that the advertised income was achievable or realistic for most consumers.
The ruling notes that the brochure presented the earning figures as "options", making it seem like consumers could choose how much they wanted to earn just by picking a particular programme. It also repeatedly referred to "100% profit", but the advertiser did not show any evidence that customers actually achieved those returns.
"There is nothing before the Directorate to show that the claimed income potential of between R1 600 and R92 000 per month is valid, accurate, or even representative of a typical customer's income," the ruling says. It ultimately found that the earnings claims were "currently unsubstantiated" and broke Clause 4.1 of Section II of the Code of Advertising Practice.
Advertising members instructed to reject claims
The finding has immediate consequences for how the programme can be advertised by ARB members. The Directorate told members not to accept any advertising promoting the Legacy Builders programme if it includes earning potential, until the advertiser submits new proof according to the Code and that evidence is accepted through a new ruling.
The Directorate also made it clear it was not deciding whether the Legacy Builders business itself was legitimate. Its job was only to decide whether the advertising followed the Code of Advertising Practice.
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