Why we verify
South African law requires organisations to confirm who you are and where you can be reached before relying on your details. SameMe collects that evidence once, so you are not asked to repeat it for every organisation you deal with.
Email address and mobile number
We send a one-time code to the address or number you entered. Entering it confirms you control that contact detail. Codes are six digits, expire after ten minutes, allow five attempts and can only be used once.
Identity number, name and surname
With your consent we check your South African identity number against the population register through a licensed verification provider, and confirm the name registered to it matches your SameMe profile. We record only that the check passed; we never store the details the provider returns.
Proof of address (FICA)
We accept a municipal rates statement, utility bill, bank statement, signed lease, SARS correspondence or cellphone account. It must show your full name and the address as captured in SameMe, and be dated within the last three months.
- PDF, JPEG, PNG or HEIC, up to 10 MB
- Complete, unedited pages only
- Uploaded over an encrypted connection
How your evidence is protected
Documents are stored in a private, access-controlled location, never on a public address. Only staff who review proof of address can open one, every access is recorded in your activity history, and the document itself is never shared with an organisation.
How long we keep it
Verification evidence is retained for five years to meet FICA record-keeping obligations, then deleted. Organisations only ever see that a detail is verified, never the underlying document.
Your choices under POPIA
Verification is optional and nothing else in SameMe depends on it. You can withdraw a submitted document before it is reviewed, and you can request a copy, correction or deletion of your information at any time through your data rights controls.