South Africa’s eGator rolls out biometric ID verification solution, unveils future plans

South Africa-based biometrics and digital ID verification firm eGator has announced the rollout of a new software for identity verification and authentication using face and fingerprint biometrics. The firm says it is also in talks with a major insurance firm for the deployment of the new solution, while work is equally ongoing on developing other ID solutions to meet emerging market needs.

In the announcement, the company notes that the new solution, which has been developed for Africa by Africans, is being unveiled at a time when the continent is experiencing a rise in identity theft, identity fraud scams and incidents of duplication fraud. The system is said to be built on advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence modules with a 99 percent accuracy rate in biometric ID matching and verification.

The launch of the software could not be timelier given the increasing digitization in Africa which is making the craving for advanced digital security systems even more pressing, says eGator.

The system, according to the company, can be used to verify the face or fingerprint features of individuals whenever they are about to log in to their bank accounts, mobile software, sign up for an account online or enter a secure building.

“We believe it is the right of people to leverage their biometrics, especially their facial landmark features and fingerprints to get identified, authenticated and protected on the internet and any other cyber related instance,” says eGator CEO Donald Ward.

Rising Odegua, chief technology officer of the company, says the system is built and trained with data which makes it a truly global platform that is robust, unbiased, reliable and easy to integrate with other systems.

Chief Operating Officer Drey Kenfack, corroborating his CTO colleague, comments: “We are revolutionizing ID verification and payments in Africa, which allows businesses to maximize conversions and minimize fraud. Our proprietary technology can be used across many industries and allow for greater scalability on many use cases.”

Major client in view

In a further comment obtained by Biometric Update concerning the solution, Kenfack says unlike many other biometric identity verification providers which license their technology from third parties, eGator has built its proprietary AI-based biometric solution from scratch.

He also moots that they are in talks with a major insurance company in Africa for the deployment of the solution.

“Our solution can be scaled across many use cases and we are leveraging on that to help companies solve some of the biggest challenges they have today. For example, fraud claim is one of the biggest challenges within the insurance space in Africa, and we are talking to a major insurance company who wants to use our solution to solve this problem and this will ultimately help improve their bottom line as well,” says Kenfack.

Positive feedback so far, other ID solutions in the offing

On what feedback they are getting so far, he states: “From speaking to companies every day, the feedback we are getting its very positive and it’s clear we are solving a real problem for them. Most of our users today are startups or companies looking to digitize their customers’ journey. They understand the benefit of having a digital identity verification system which helps streamline the customer onboarding flow and improve conversion without compromising on security.”

Beyond the ID verification solution, the eGator COO reveals they are many other plans afoot: “Our technology has been built with scalability in mind and beyond identity verification, there are many other products we are working on that leverage on our core biometric technology. We are building the biometric infrastructure for businesses.”

Kenfack adds that this solution is useful in advancing financial inclusion, cybersecurity and protecting the identity of individuals engaged in all online transactions which require ID verification and authentication.

Article Topics

Africa  |  African startups  |  biometric authentication  |  eGator  |  face biometrics  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  identity verification