Digitization is one of the key driving forces of innovation in the African continent. At the forefront of this digital transformation stands, South Africa. The proportion of South African citizens who use the internet is expected to cross the 90% mark by 2027.
As digitization advances in the country, so does the need for regulatory compliance. Financial institutes, healthcare service providers, etc. who cater to the needs of clients online need to ensure that their clients are who they claim to be. Address verification is one of the essential steps to achieve this.
What is address verification and why is it important?
Address verification refers to the process of checking an individual/ entity’s address against reliable sources to ensure it is correct, complete and up-to-date. This comparison may be performed manually or automated.
Address verification serves many purposes. Ensuring the accuracy and reliability of street addresses makes it easier for businesses to communicate with their customers and deliver timely services. In the case of eCommerce service providers, address verification plays a vital role in optimizing delivery routes for quick shipping. In turn, it reduces the risk of lost packages and missed opportunities.
Address verification also plays an important role in regulatory compliance. It helps safeguard customer data and keeps fraudsters at bay. In turn, this builds trust in the brand.
How to verify addresses in South Africa
As technology evolves, so does the landscape of address verification. That said, there is a wide gap in capabilities and limited access to digital technologies and services. Hence, address verification in South Africa relies on both manual and digital techniques.
Manual address verification
Manually verifying street addresses involves inspecting and verifying tangible documents that mention the individual’s street address. The documents must be handed over and verified in person necessitating a face-to-face interaction.
Some of the documents that may be submitted for manual address verification include government-issued Identity cards, utility bills, bank statements, rental agreements and leases. In some cases, physical mail from reputable sources like government agencies, utility companies or banks may also be used to support address verification.
This method of address verification is suitable for residential and business addresses, is widely accepted and has a high level of reliability. However, it is slow, relies on the physical possession of documents and has a high risk of being subject to biases and human error.
Digital address verification
Digital methods of address verification are quicker, more reliable and more convenient. This leverages technology and online resources to verify and validate street addresses. The entire verification process can be completed online.
Digital address verification tools use technology to extract information from scanned copies of documents or details entered in a form and compare it against data stored in authoritative third-party databases. This includes government registries, postal records and so on. Digital identity solutions such as e-passports with embedded chips and biometrics may also act as a secure foundation for address verification.
To go a step further, businesses can leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to enrich addresses with data from public records, social media platforms and geospatial information. For example, let’s say the city administration updated the name of a street. When verifying addresses, this information could be used to update the address submitted and thereby ensure deliverability.
Benefits of digital address verification
Some of the benefits of digital address verification include:
- Automated systems can process higher volumes of data thereby making the verification process more efficient
- Relying on digital verification techniques rather than human intelligence overcomes biases and increases accuracy
- Technology-led verification techniques can be used for early identification of fraudulent activities
- Digital address verification techniques are more cost-effective
- Quicker verification online improves the overall customer experience and empowers businesses to deliver personalized services and communication.
Challenges of address verification in South Africa
Despite recognizing the need for address verification, there are a few challenges that must be considered.
Inconsistent address formatting
While streets in urban sections of South Africa may be named and numbered, a significant part of the population still lives in areas defined by directional references, tribal designations or nicknames for landmarks. In addition, the addresses may be listed in local dialects. Such inconsistent and incomplete address formats can be hard to handle and verify.
Frequent address changes
As in other parts of the world, people in South Africa don’t live in the same house throughout their lives. People may move for many reasons including rapid urbanization and informal settlements. Irrespective of the trigger, they may not update the change in address making available records unreliable.
Limited internet access
South Africa does not have uniform internet coverage. It is usually unavailable in rural and remote areas. Even when it is available, the services may be expensive and thus unaffordable. This applies not only to Wi-Fi coverage but also to the coverage of mobile networks. This limited internet connectivity may hinder the online address verification process.
Mapping the way ahead
South Africa stands at the forefront of the African continent’s digital transformation. From communication and eCommerce to healthcare and financial services, businesses across sectors are being digitized. As of 2023, 72.3% of the country’s population embraced the digital age. Address verification plays a key role in keeping this evolution safe and sustainable.
Leveraging AI-based tools for automated address verification is ideal. They offer quick, trustworthy and cost-effective solutions. It is important to note though that digital address verification tools may not always be effective in the South African ecosystem. Many regions are yet to be connected to the internet and addresses in rural, tribal areas often follow an informal syntax that makes them difficult to standardize and verify.
Hence, in addition to concerns about data quality, there’s also a need for infrastructural development and digital literacy drives. Continuous collaboration and innovation among government agencies, technology service providers, businesses and community organizations are key to making address verification a possibility for all South Africans. In turn, this will help build an inclusive, prosperous community.