Originally Posted by aristoph
ID cards are very widespread in SA. Whilst not actually compulsory almost no government service is available without one, eg you can't vote without an ID card.
You're right, I should have made myself clearer:
- South Africans are not inclined to use ID card numbers or their equivalent for banking transactions
- Furthermore , the multiple-language/multiple-alphabet issue I mentioned can make it more complicated to prove that the person who signed your credit agreement last year is the same person you are taking to court to recover a bad debt
- The upshot is that South Africa is a hard place to lend money (which is why I found myself trying to help rescue the operation of another credit firm in SA a few years ago)