Maltech Africa Veritas: Compliance Guidelines
Effective date: 1 January 2026 | Version 1.0
Veritas exists to build trust in African business. These guidelines explain what we require from businesses that use our services, how we verify them, and what we expect of them over time. They give banks, investors, policymakers and communities confidence in what a Veritas verification means.
Only formally registered businesses can be verified, valued, registered in the Data Pool or considered for funding facilitation. Businesses that are not yet registered can begin with our Formalization guidance.
A business may apply if it is:
• formally registered and operating in South Africa, and owned or controlled by Zimbabwean nationals, or
• formally registered in Zimbabwe and banking in South Africa
and it can supply the verification documents in section 4.
We may ask for the following, or the equivalent documents from the relevant authority. Requirements vary by business type and country.
• Proof of registration (certificate or equivalent) from the relevant registrar
• Founding or constitutional documents
• Proof of business address
• Tax registration details and, where relevant, evidence of tax compliance status
• Licences or permits required for the industry
• Business bank account details
• Recent financial records or bank statements
• Identity documents for directors, owners and authorised signatories
• Details of who ultimately owns and controls the business (beneficial ownership)
• Proof of address for owners and directors
• Evidence that owners and directors are legally permitted to operate the business in the country of operation
1. Application. You submit your business details and documents.
2. Document review. We check completeness, consistency and authenticity.
3. Source checks. We confirm key details against registries and other sources where available.
4. Assessment. We assess registration, compliance status and consistency across records.
5. Outcome. We issue a report, request more information, or decline the application and explain why where we can.
6. Ongoing review. We may re-verify periodically or when something changes.
Outcomes depend on the information available at the time and do not guarantee any future result.
Businesses in the Veritas system must:
• keep their registration, tax and licence status current
• tell us within a reasonable time about material changes, such as a change of directors, owners, address, registration status or legal name
• respond to reasonable requests for information or re-verification
• give accurate information at all times
We expect honesty and integrity. The following are not permitted and may lead to a declined application, suspension or removal from the Data Pool:
• submitting false, forged or altered documents
• misrepresenting ownership, control or registration status
• using a business as a front for another person or business
• involvement in money laundering, fraud, bribery or other financial crime
• misusing Veritas reports or status to mislead any third party
• repeatedly failing to keep information current
Veritas takes financial crime prevention seriously. We may decline or end a relationship where we have concerns about the source of funds, ownership, or lawful operation of a business, and we may share information with the authorities where the law requires. We may be required to do this without notifying you.
Business and personal information is handled in line with POPIA and our Privacy Policy. Individual business data is not shared with banks, investors or other third parties without explicit written consent. Only aggregated and anonymised insights are published or sold.
• Only verified businesses in the Data Pool may be put forward for funding facilitation.
• We do not guarantee funding, rates or approval. Decisions belong to lenders and investors.
• Applicants must give accurate financial information, and we may share it with lenders only with consent.
• We do not charge success-based fees or accept payments from lenders for favourable treatment.
If your business is not registered, or has fallen behind on compliance, we can guide you through Formalization or bringing your compliance up to date. Once your business is registered and compliant, you can apply for verification.
If you believe a business in the Veritas system has provided false information, or you have a concern or complaint about our services, email info@africasmeveritas.org with the details. We will acknowledge your message and review it. Where appropriate we may suspend a business while we investigate.
We may suspend or remove a business from the Data Pool, and withdraw or update a verification report, if the business breaches these guidelines, no longer meets eligibility, or provides false or misleading information. We will explain the reason where we can.
We may update these guidelines as our services, the law or good practice change. The current version is always on this page.
These guidelines describe Veritas's verification approach. They are not legal advice.