Governance and Compliance

At Oaths.co.za™, governance is built into our DNA.

Integrity, accountability, and transparency underpin every certification — ensuring legal validity and meeting the compliance standards demanded by corporates, financial institutions, universities, and regulators. 

Oaths.co.za™ certifies true copies of documents in accordance with Regulation 6 of GN R1258 of 1972 (which prohibits charging for the act of certification). While certification of copies is a recognised legal custom rather than an explicit statutory requirement, our services are deliberately designed to align with both the law and long-standing accepted practice. 

Our services are aligned with South Africa’s broader compliance landscape:

• FICA & FIC → Supporting accountable institutions (banks, attorneys, insurers, estate agents) with identity and proof-of-address obligations. Oaths.co.za™ is not itself an accountable institution and does not register with the FIC, but our certifications directly support compliance.
• RICA → Certified documents issued via Oaths.co.za™ a are accepted for SIM registrations and related telecom services.
• FSCA → While not FSCA-regulated, Oaths certifications provide compliance-ready documentation for banks, insurers, and financial service providers.
• ECTA → Section 15 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, 2002 grants evidentiary weight to reliable electronic records and signatures. Oaths.co.za™ certifications meet this standard through secure creation, verification, storage, and audit trails.
• POPIA & GDPR → Full compliance with South African and international data protection regimes.
• AML, PEP, PIP & Sanctions Screening → Every client is screened against South African and international watchlists before certification.
   

⚠️ Important: Oaths.co.za™ does not provide services for affidavits, sworn statements, declarations, or affirmations. These require in-person commissioning under Regulation 10. 

Oaths.co.za™ operates under a substantial compliance model, recognised in case law and reinforced by our secure technology infrastructure. This ensures that every certification is both lawful in authority and defensible in practice. 

Every Commissioner on Oaths.co.za is individually vetted to ensure integrity and legal authority. 

Before being authorised on our platform, a Commissioner must provide:

• South African Smart ID Card
• Proof of professional membership (e.g. SAIPA, SAICA, IRBA, or the Legal Practice Council)
• Valid SARS Tax Compliance Status
• Verified identity, either face-to-face or via a digitally recorded verification session
   

All certifications issued through Oaths.co.za™ are:

• Traceable — linked to a specific Commissioner of Oaths
• Auditable — full digital record, time, and date stamps
• Personally accountable — every Commissioner carries professional and legal responsibility for their actions

Every certification on Oaths.co.za™ is backed by a layered system of safeguards:

• Biometric identity verification facial recognition, liveness testing, and Department of Home Affairs data validation
• Cryptographically secured digital signatures (2048 bit) 
• Cryptographically sealed ledger with blockchain level security for tamper proof hashing and timestamping 
• OathsVault™ Unique QR codes for real time public validation
• Document validation checks to ensure integrity
• Digital audit trail with time, date, and user traceability
• Secure record-keeping to support accountable institutions’ obligations
   

Together, these controls ensure that every certified document is tamper-proof, auditable, and enterprise-ready.

Trust made simple:
If the QR code works, the certification is genuine.
If it doesn’t, it must not be trusted.

Oaths.co.za™ is designed to support governance, assurance, and compliance needs across key industries:

• Human Resources → onboarding, employee KYC, and verification of identity and proof of address
• Financial Services → banks, insurers, and accountable institutions meeting FICA and AML obligations
• Education Sector → universities, colleges, NSFAS, and bursary funds requiring certified IDs and proof of address for admissions and funding
• Property, Legal & Contractual Transactions → supporting due diligence in rentals, conveyancing, and business contracts
• Telecommunications → SIM registrations and RICA compliance
• Government & Regulators → SARS, CIPC, SETAs, and other compliance-heavy processes
   

Our system design is Patent Pending in South Africa (Application No. 2025/06893: “System and Method for Digital Certification of True Copies of Documents”), underscoring our commitment to innovation, compliance-by-design, and fraud prevention.

Governance is not a one-time exercise — it is an ongoing commitment. Oaths.co.za™ is dedicated to strengthening trust and compliance through:

• A roadmap toward independent assurance audits and alignment with SADC governance standards
• Ongoing engagement with regulators and professional bodies to ensure alignment with evolving compliance requirements
• Annual governance and compliance reviews to continuously evaluate and enhance our framework
   

This forward-looking approach ensures that Oaths.co.za™ remains not only legally defensible, but also a trusted partner for corporates, regulators, and institutions.

📩 compliance@oaths.co.za
For corporate due diligence requests, institutional partnerships, or compliance inquiries.