Here’s an update on important industry news and updates from our team
Certification of documents
Validity of Electronic Signatures (e-signatures)
The universal digitisation of society, combined with the COVID-19 pandemic, has completely transformed how we do business. As a result, electronic signatures have become an essential tool for conducting day-to-day business, which has naturally led to questions about what constitutes an electronic signature and whether such signatures are valid.
Influenced by international norms and requirements, legislation indicates that e-signatures are legally recognised in South Africa. This recognition has paved the way for organisations to operate in a paperless environment.
How do we protect your information?
AQRate uses an internationally compliant and secure online platform to process its e-signatures. This software provides an electronic audit trail with verifiable signer identity authentication and recognises any tampering.
Therefore, each certificate we sign electronically is considered an original and not a copy of an original (even though it has been signed electronically). That is why we have decided to no longer certify electronically signed verification certificates as true copies of the original because they are, by nature, original.
In addition, e-signatures rely on crypto-based technology, meaning that the document’s content will always be locked and secured when placing an e-signature. Doing so guarantees that the document’s content cannot be changed after signing.
Welcome to Vivesha Annoop – our new Technical Signatory
Vivesha previously worked at AQRate KZN, one of three companies that fell under the AQRate banner, from 2008 to 2018. She obtained a BCom degree in Supply Chain Management and Human Resources Management at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and subsequently completed her Management Development Programme in B-BBEE through the Wits Business School. Vivesha performed verifications for all types of entities, including government departments and JSE-listed companies, in her previous role.
“I felt like I was coming home when I joined the team in Cape Town in November,” says Annoop. “So far, it has been a wonderful journey with amazing people!” she adds. When asked what she loves most about working at AQRate, Vivesha mentions the team, who are always full of smiles and supportive of one another, and her interactions with clients.
Her position as a Technical Signatory entails reviewing client files, ensuring the highest quality standards are continually maintained when a certificate and scorecard are prepared, and that the requirements contained in the B-BBEE codes are met. With this comes the responsibility of mentoring analysts, which is one of her passions.
Nicknamed ‘Vivacious’, Vivesha is the eldest of two children and a mother of two beautiful little girls. A family tradition she most looks forward to each year is Christmas lunch at home with her extended family. She loves cooking and experimenting in the kitchen, often recreating traditional recipes with her own twist, much to her family’s delight.
Vivesha’s passion for empowering women and previously disadvantaged members of our community, thus breaking the poverty cycle, is what motivates her. Although she strives for excellence in all that she does, she never passes up an opportunity to learn and lives by the phrase: ‘Never give up on following your dreams, no matter how many times you fail! Try, try, and try again.’
We are so pleased to have her join our team and introduce her to you. We look forward to introducing you to her in person soon!
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact our office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For technical queries outside of your verification, please direct your question in as much detail as possible to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Please note that we will be closed for our annual holiday break from 13:00 on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 to Monday, 10 January 2022. We wish you all a blessed and safe festive season, and we look forward to engaging with you again in the new year.
Stay safe, rest well, and God bless!
Sincerely,
Jeanette Buys
CEO
