How ClicknDone Verifies Every Pro: KYC, ID and Background Checks Explained
ClicknDone's verification process is designed to put every Pro through four checks before they can take their first job: identity verification through an accredited KYC provider, professional-body registration (PIRB for plumbers, wireman's licence with the Department of Employment and Labour for electricians, equivalent for other categories), a POPIA-compliant criminal record check with the Pro's written consent, and a face-photo match shown to you before the Pro arrives. South Africa logged roughly 1.5 million household housebreakings in 2024/25 (Stats SA, Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey 2024/25). It is reasonable to hesitate before letting a stranger into your home. ClicknDone exists because that hesitation should be solved by infrastructure, not by hoping a friend-of-a-friend recommendation holds.
The default way home services get hired in South Africa is informal: instant-messaging chats, Facebook neighbourhood groups, 'my mother's cousin's friend'. This works often enough that people keep doing it. It also fails enough that scams, theft, and dispute-after-payment are common.
Three structural problems with the informal route: no verified identity (the person in your home is whoever the referrer trusted, with usually no ID check), no verified registration (a 'plumber' without PIRB registration cannot legally issue a CoC, leaving you exposed on insurance), and no payment protection (cash or instant EFT means once it's gone, it is gone — even if the work is wrong). ClicknDone replaces all three with infrastructure.
Pros register with their South African ID number (or passport for foreign nationals with valid work authorisation). The standard verification flow runs the document through an accredited KYC provider, which confirms the holder's name, date of birth and that the document is current. If verification fails, onboarding cannot proceed.
Identity verification alone doesn't help if the person ringing your bell is someone else. Pros upload a current photo at registration, with a selfie-style liveness step designed to defeat stock photos and AI-generated faces. The image is checked against the ID document via the verification provider. You see the verified photo in the app before the Pro arrives. If the person at your door doesn't match, you can refuse access and contact our support team — refund handling follows our cancellation policy.
By category:
- Plumbers — PIRB registration verified at onboarding and periodically thereafter.
- Electricians — Wireman's licence class and registration number verified with the Department of Employment and Labour at onboarding and periodically thereafter. ECB (Electrical Conformance Board) listing checked where applicable as an additional conformance reference.
- Domestic cleaners and handymen — Verified ID and references; trade certifications where applicable.
The verified registration number is shown on the Pro's public profile. You can verify it yourself in 60 seconds on the relevant body's website.
The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) governs how we can lawfully process this information. Every Pro provides explicit, written consent under POPIA Section 11 before we run a criminal record check. The consent is logged and time-stamped. We use accredited screening providers regulated by the Information Regulator. The check is repeated periodically for active Pros.
A Pro can refuse the check. They will not be approved for the platform. We don't apologise for this.
- ClicknDone does not sell Pro or customer data; data handling follows our Privacy Policy and POPIA.
- We don't share data across borders unless POPIA Section 72 conditions are met.
- We don't use AI face-matching as a sole decision-maker (POPIA Section 71 — automated decisions about people have specific requirements).
Verification reduces risk; it doesn't eliminate it. When something goes wrong: message the Pro through the platform (most issues resolve here), open a dispute in the app within 30 days of the job, our team aims to review evidence within 48 business hours, and possible outcomes are full refund, partial refund, rework, no fault, or removal of the Pro from the platform if misconduct is confirmed.
Confirmed serious misconduct results in removal, and where appropriate we report the Pro to the relevant professional body or to the South African Police Service.
Verification is a two-way protection. Pros on ClicknDone are not at the mercy of a customer who refuses to pay or who lodges a malicious complaint. Escrow secures the Pro's payment for completed, satisfactory work, and our arbitration team is designed to protect them from unfair disputes. Verified work, verified payment.
