SearchWorks celebrates 15 years of enabling powerful decisions for South African businesses

SearchWorks is celebrating 15 years as South Africa’s most trusted single one-stop shop for accurate and up-to-date data and providing businesses with the information they need to make meaningful business decisions.

SearchWorks is an online data aggregation platform that allows users to conduct live, accurate individual, company and property searches and in-depth KYC checks online. The platform offers 160 different search types, covering more than 20 data sources to give companies onboarding new clients instant access to verified identities, updated contact details and account verifications, all within the confines of the law.

With direct links to all hosting credit bureaus in South Africa in one place, users can confirm an individual’s identity, address, financial status and more. SearchWorks also has a functionality that allows users to combine the findings into a single report, giving a view of an individual or company from various sources.

Sameer Kumandan, Managing Director of SearchWorks, says the platform has grown as an indispensable tool for businesses that rely on accurate, reliable data for informed decision-making. “In a modern environment characterised by information overload, SearchWorks’ major achievement is providing organisations with data-backed intelligence that is both usable and credible.”

Over a proud 15-year history, SearchWorks has led several industry firsts and key milestones. It was the first web-based search platform for the South African conveyancing market. Next, it successfully introduced credit-related searches before being officially approved as a reseller Credit Bureau by the National Credit Regulator (NCR). After SearchWorks diversified its offering to cater for various other industries, it was identified as the largest data aggregator in South Africa and was later approved as the preferred source of data by leading financial institutions as it quickly reached well over 30,000 active users.

Kumandan says one of the biggest trends the company has seen come to the fore is the increased requirement and reliance on accurate, up-to-date, readily available data. “Just one example of this is the onboarding process timeline to open a bank account. Identity verification is now less laborious, faster, and more efficient than ever before, taking place in minutes. Organisations are looking to modernise their systems and build on their customer relationships by offering solutions that tap into a larger part of the customer journey. SearchWorks is proud to be part of that broader journey and adding value where it matters most.”

In 2022 SearchWorks announced a relaunch of its brand identity, paying homage to its roots as a search-based add-on offering of e4, and its impressive growth as its own entity with an extensive list of unique offerings and capabilities.

“SearchWorks has evolved from being a source of property data for conveyancing attorneys to verify Deeds Office information to being an integral part of business processes and the onboarding of clients and businesses. We can verify or supply information on almost every aspect of an individual or business,” he says.

Kumandan says a notable highlight for SearchWorks is its committed team. “At least 70% of the SearchWorks team has been with the company through the entire SearchWorks journey. The dedication to delivering a world-class application and ensuring customer satisfaction cannot be faulted. Our ability to cater and respond to client needs and requirements is a considerable point of pride for us and will remain so as we look forward to introducing new diverse search types.”

He adds that the company will add to its legacy of breaking new ground and continuing the evolution of the SearchWorks application and its ability to stay relevant. “We have over twenty suppliers and pride ourselves in choosing only the best, most reliable sources. We also take security seriously by ensuring that both the data we supply and our clients’ data are safe, secure and protected. We are constantly working on enhancements to the SearchWorks application to improve the system’s overall usability to keep SearchWorks relevant as our client’s needs change and evolve. We look forward to the next 15 years of assisting South African businesses to streamline and improve their processes through the power of information.”