Corruption imposes additional barrier to digital identity in South Africa
Published: 10/Sep/2020
Source: Biometric Update
By Tshepo Magoma
The level of corruption is the biggest stumbling block that prevents many countries in Africa to move ahead and to realise their true potential as emerging markets despite their valuable key resources. For instance, even if South Africa can get a good revamped, incorruptible and unforgeable legal or digital ID, the key factor lies on the staff members of the department and the public at large, as corruption and bribery always leads to fraud. It is common in South Africa to hear in the news that a public official has two to three different IDs and passport, common to hear that someone has used a wrong identity to open a bank account or to defraud a well-known business entity for millions of Rands. The key challenge remains not if we have the best tools to fight fraud, but if we have the best tools to fight the roots of corruption, and how to tackle social engineering with the best technology that can prevent this immorality and fraud from re-occurring. For instance, Experian, a consumer credit reporting company, said on 19 August that it experienced a breach of data which has exposed some personal information of as many as 24 million South Africans, and 793,749 business entities, to a suspected fraudster.
Read further: https://www.biometricupdate.com/202009/corruption-imposes-additional-barrier-to-digital-identity-in-south-africa