twitteryou tubeacpRSS Feed

Fintech software specialist e4 has rolled out a rates clearance solution for Msunduzi Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

The e4 Rates aims at alleviating the backlog of requests currently being experienced at the council.

“Without a Rates Clearance certificate, property transfers are not able to go ahead and what we find is that attorneys are applying for clearance figures well before a deal is secured, to try and shorten the delay caused by the time it takes to get clearance certificates,” said Clive Bredenkamp, head of e4’s Legal Studio division. “This is a national challenge and technology is readily available to help make this process fast, easy and reliable.”

Transfer attorneys can log on to the e4 website and choose from a wide range of councils and electronically submit their application. If the attorney has already captured the transfer details, it’s as easy as a few clicks to populate the rest of the request for a specific council. The council then receives the instruction electronically and can start working on the clearance requirements immediately. Bredenkamp said that since launching with Msunduzi in October, the platform has already processed over 700 rates clearance requests.

A game-changer in the property industry is the ongoing saturation of electronic signatures to prevent fraudulent activity. This is especially helpful when it comes to clearance certificates of any form.

In the case of a rates council, the rates manager is issued with an advanced electronic certificate and with this they electronically sign the rates clearance certificate (RCC) that is automatically generated by the system. The fact that this kind of a system eradicates the need for paper is an added benefit.

“We are extremely pleased with the new system and have seen a big improvement in turnaround time,” commented Msunduzi’s acting rates manager, Moges Pillay.

e4’s Rates platform ensures that there is accountability and transparency throughout the clearance process. An audit trail is provided making it easy to track applications. The system enables communication between conveyancers and the councils via direct messages and allows the users to upload documents such as proof of payments too. When a council has multiple departments involved in issuing a clearance certificate, the request is tasked to each relevant department, such as valuations and credit control.

Bredenkamp said that most importantly, the system comes at no cost to the municipality. Conveyancers pay an application fee which subsidises the system. The onus on the council is then to ensure that they are adequately staffed, and these teams are trained to use the system. “We expect to see a radical drop in the turn-around-time for any council we service and are glad we can be a part of providing tech solutions that makes the lives of South Africans better.”

Empowering girls through innovation in education across Africa. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

(L-R): Dr Diane Karusisi, CEO, Bank of Kigali and Dr Reda Helal, group managing director – processing, Africa and co-head group processing, Network International. (Image source: Network International)

Kagiso Mothibi, MTN SA’s general manager for fintech products and services. (Image source: MTN)

Huawei Cloud pledges US$10mn in credits, aims to support 100 Nigerian startups, fostering innovation & digital transformation. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Orange Digital Center and Coursera join forces to offer free certification courses for new digital professions. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Africa Data Centres & DPA SA pioneer solar farm for sustainable data solutions in South Africa. (Image source: African Data Centres)

MTN leads South Africa's mobile networks with exceptional speeds, while Vodacom excels in 5G. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Debbie Beech, country manager: SA and SADC at cybersecurity expert, Exclusive Networks Africa. (Image source: Exclusive Networks Africa)

MTN & Airtel create APEP to boost mobile money in Congo. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

By TechScan Africa and PayTechAfrica - Unveiling Africa's digital payment shift. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Dietmar Siersdorfer, managing director at Siemens Energy Middle East and Africa. (Image source: Siemens Energy)

In the MENA region, cybersecurity is crucial amidst rising digitalisation and state-sponsored cyber threats, met by BBS Technology's comprehensive solutions. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

MTN's Bayobab expands fiber network across Africa, boosting connectivity. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the leading ANSI-accredited standards development body for the ICT Industry, recognises Siemon for outstanding engagement, both as an individual and a company. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Check Point & NVIDIA collaborate on Check Point AI Cloud Protect, enhancing security for AI workloads in the cloud amid rising cyber threats. (Image source: Adobe Stock)