Background checks in Africa: what you need to know when onboarding employees
- Last updated: March 13, 2025
If talent is the lifeblood of an organisation – what effects can one wrong pick have over your operations and growth across Africa? Unfortunately, not all candidates are who they seem – or claim – to be.
To prevent this kind of predicament, Africa HR Solutions performs background checks on all potential candidates before we onboard them and add them to your payroll. While this type of check is widespread, not all African EOR (Employer of Record) providers perform them, and standards for what constitutes a background check can vary.
In this article, we tell you all about background checks, which information they provide, and how we perform them.
What does a background check involve in Africa?
A background check typically looks at a few layers of information, namely: identity checks, criminal background checks, and at times reference checks – although the latter is usually performed during the hiring process. One key aspect of background checks is that they are performed once a candidate is selected, right before they are offered a position, onboarded and added to the payroll.
Identity checks
Identity checks will turn out information about a candidate such as their date of birth, nationality, associated locations, any known aliases, and will sometimes even include past job titles, and job positions without necessarily deep-diving into a detailed employment history. This type of check can also provide information about whether a candidate is politically exposed, which parties and companies they have been/are affiliated with, even denoting if that person was of special interest within such an organisation.
National ID and passport checks are also included in identity checks.
Criminal record checks
Criminal record checks will verify if there has been any type of crime committed, detailing charges, the date of the offence, and even covering arrest mandates as well as crimes committed outside of the country of operation – should that information be available in the first place. For example, if a person commits a crime in South Africa, and is applying for work in Morocco, that information will be reflected on the background check, provided that the databases are up to date.
It is worth noting that background checks can be performed on both individuals and on companies.
4. Technological advancements create new markets
One of the most exciting trends in Africa is the rapid adoption of technology and digital solutions. The continent has seen an explosion in mobile phone usage, internet penetration, and digital innovation, with major improvements in fintech, e-commerce, and mobile banking, notably across countries like Nigeria, Egypt, and Kenya. Africa’s mobile-first approach is creating new opportunities for businesses to enter previously underserved markets.
Fintech is also revolutionising the way people in Africa access financial services. The rise of mobile payments (like Kenya’s M-Pesa), digital wallets, and online lending platforms has created opportunities for foreign investors to tap into the growing demand for financial growth and services.
Is the information from a background check private?
The information from a background check is public information. Because the information is readily available, and is of the public domain, there is no restriction on who has the right to access it. Sourcing the information, on the other hand, is the trickier part of the equation. It can be difficult to obtain information, or to even know where to look depending on which African country you find yourself in. Ultimately, it is not profitable to run background checks by yourself, as the amount of information required will use up a lot of your time. As a company, personally running background checks for every person you are looking to employ is not the optimal use of your time and resources.
Will the candidate know that they have been investigated?
No. No candidates will be alerted if a background check is run on them. Since the data is freely available and accessible to one and all – if one knows where to source it from – there are typically no special permissions required. In short, there is no way for a candidate to know whether they’re being investigated.
The limitations of background checks in Africa
This stands true for all background checks performed everywhere: they are only as accurate as the information that is currently available. It may be that some databases aren’t regularly updated, and sometimes you may just access information that hasn’t been updated yet. The availability of information – especially across Africa where a lot of data is still stored manually, meaning that there aren’t always centralised databases to source information from – determines the accuracy and depth of any background check being performed. So, all background checks should be accepted with a certain level of caution.
Let us take care of your workforce in Africa
Focus on your core business and leave your workforce across Africa in our hands. Beyond just background checks, we ensure that your employees are well taken care of, paid accurately and on time, and enjoy the social benefits they are legally entitled to. We also take care of your organisation by ensuring 100% compliance, and taking the responsibility of onboarding, background checks, and payroll from your shoulders – all thanks to our EOR offer.
Looking to onboard employees in more than one African country? We’ve got you covered. Send us a message to chat with one of our experts today.