Trust & vetting
How workers earn trust on Ekasi
Criminal record checks in South Africa are slow and expensive, and they only catch previously convicted people — they don't predict good work. Instead, every Ekasi worker builds trust through community vouches and admin review before they're listed, and then layers on harder signals over time — customers confirming real jobs, optional location checks, ratings, repeat business and the Verified on Ekasi badge. No single signal is the whole story; together they are very difficult to fake.
We do not perform criminal background checks. Customers accept that workers are independent contractors who have not been criminally vetted by Ekasi. Confirmations and reviews are personal statements from customers, not background checks.
Before a worker is listed
1. Profile & suburb
Every worker signs up with their real name and the suburb they live or work in. This anchors them to a place and a community from day one.
2. Profile photo
A clear face photo is required before going live. Households tell us this is the single biggest factor in whether they reach out.
3. Two confirmed community vouches
Workers share a vouch link with neighbours, past employers or community members. Every vouch runs through automated fraud checks the instant it is submitted — most confirm immediately, and anything suspicious is held for a person. Vouches from customers who have actually hired them count for more than neighbour vouches.
4. Final review
Once the photo and two confirmed vouches are in, the profile goes to our team for a last look before it appears in the directory. Most approvals happen within 24 hours.
The layered trust signals on every profile
Each profile shows these signals as plain counts, so you can judge for yourself. We never publish a customer's name, contact details, address or exact location.
Verified on Ekasi
Our top badge. Awarded by an admin once the provider's documents and details have been reviewed. It expires and must be renewed, so it always reflects a recent review.
Customer confirmations
The provider asks a past customer to confirm a specific job. Only the customer can answer — providers can never confirm their own work. Each answer is logged and counted on the profile.
Location-confirmed confirmations
When a customer answers, they may optionally share their location so we can check they were near the address where the work happened. This is the hardest signal to fake. Declining never counts against the provider, and the exact location is never shown publicly.
Repeat customers & completed services
How many different customers came back, and how many services were completed through Ekasi. Real repeat business is very hard to manufacture.
Ratings & reviews
Customers rate a completed service out of five and can leave a comment. Reviews tied to a completed Ekasi service are marked as verified.
Time on Ekasi
How long the provider has been on the platform. New is not bad — but a long, clean history is worth a lot.
Extra trust badges (optional but encouraged)
Workers can stack badges on their profile over time. None of these are required to be listed, but each one gives households more confidence — and customers can filter by minimum trust level when they search.
ID Verified
Handled by our partner Didit (didit.me) — free DHA-backed checks for SA citizens, plus checks for passport, asylum permit, refugee ID and work visa. The selfie + document capture happens on the worker's phone. Workers without papers can still earn trust through vouches and address — no document, no problem.
Address Confirmed
Workers upload a utility bill, landlord letter, or ward councillor letter showing where they live. An admin reviews it before the badge appears.
Track Record
Earned over time from completed jobs and rehires. The longer a worker is on the platform doing good work, the stronger this badge becomes.
In-app verification
ID verification runs inside the app via our partner Didit. Workers start the session from their onboarding screen, complete a selfie and document capture on their phone, and the badge appears on their profile as soon as Didit returns a decision.
While they're working
Live location during the job
On accepted jobs the worker shares live location with the customer. It's a deterrent and proof of presence — and it auto-deletes 30 days after the job ends.
Reviews & rehire score
Every job ends with a review. The rehire count is the single strongest signal — workers protect it because the platform's customers can see it.
Fraud review
We watch for patterns that suggest fake trust — providers confirming for each other, the same contact used across several providers, bursts of confirmations, or brand-new accounts vouching. Flagged items go to a human for review; nothing is auto-banned, and a confirmation found to be false is discounted or removed.