Millions of South Africans own a home that, on paper, does not exist. Citing the Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa, DigiDeeds says only 6.9 million of the country's 17.8 million homes have a title deed. Without one, it is hard to prove an address, let alone borrow against a house. DigiDeeds wants to fill that gap with data, according to TechCentral.
How it works
The app, launched in March, issues a free DigiDeed: a digital certificate that serves as proof of address and records ownership of the structure and the right to occupy it, though not the land beneath it. Members submit a selfie and an ID photo, drop a pin on their home and photograph it. The location is checked against GPS and mapping data, and seven neighbours then confirm the address and whether the member owns, rents or simply lives there.
- More than 6,600 members so far, in areas including Khayelitsha, Soweto and Soshanguve, the company says.
- About 26 data points per member and more than 40,000 neighbour confirmations, feeding a 0 to 100 stability score.
- Membership is free; the data is sold to credit bureaus and banks for credit scoring and know-your-customer checks.
- Three of the largest banks and three major credit bureaus have bought data for testing, the company claims, without naming them.
Who is behind it
Co-founder and chief executive Jaco Carstens spent 20 years as a credit executive at Capitec. The company was incorporated in November 2024, says it has more than 100 investors, and is registered to handle personal data under POPIA, with members consenting in the app. It works only in established townships, not on illegally occupied land.
DigiDeeds aims for 125,000 members within a year and says it needs about 500,000 to break even. Carstens also claims a DigiDeed can be pledged to a lender as security. The bigger claims, that the model could double South Africa's growth rate, he admits he has not researched himself.
