Start with the source. Understand the limits.

Section 15 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 addresses data messages in evidence. Section 15(3) identifies considerations for evidential weight, including the reliability of generation, storage or communication; integrity; and identification of the originator.

Start with the South African Government’s ECTA page, which links to the original publication and an amended text. Section 15 appears in the official Government Gazette publication (PDF); consult the amended text and current requirements when applying it.

This is a starting point for understanding the source, not a conclusion about a particular conversation. Converting a chat to PDF does not resolve questions about its origin, completeness or reliability.

UnPack reads your supplied export locally, helps you search and prepare its presentation, and offers a printable document and reusable package through export access. It does not authenticate messages, determine authorship, certify chain of custody or decide admissibility.

A checksum can identify the bytes in a file. It cannot establish who sent a message or whether its contents are true. This page is general information, not legal advice or a substitute for checking current law and the requirements of your proceedings.