VerifyNowR50 million
Maximum FICA penalty for legal persons
The maximum administrative penalty that the FIC can impose on a company for FICA non-compliance.
FICA Act 38 of 2001, Section 52
South African Compliance Statistics
Authoritative, quotable statistics on FICA, POPIA, and identity verification in South Africa. All figures include official legislative sources.
What are the penalties for FICA non-compliance in South Africa?
Under FICA (Act 38 of 2001), administrative penalties can reach R50 million for legal persons (Section 52) and R10 million for natural persons (Section 51). Non-compliance can also result in criminal prosecution and imprisonment.
R50M
Max Company Fine
R10M
Max Personal Fine
5 years
Record Retention
Source: FICA Act 38 of 2001, Sections 51-52
Ensure FICA ComplianceFICA Compliance Statistics
Key statistics from the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (Act 38 of 2001), governing anti-money laundering compliance for South African accountable institutions.
R10 million
Maximum FICA penalty for natural persons
The maximum administrative penalty for individuals found in breach of FICA requirements.
FICA Act 38 of 2001, Section 51
5 years
Minimum record retention period
Accountable institutions must retain CDD and transaction records for at least 5 years after the business relationship ends.
FICA Act 38 of 2001, Section 23
15 days
Time to report cash transactions
Cash threshold reports for transactions over R24,999.99 must be filed within 15 business days.
FICA Act 38 of 2001, Section 28
R24,999.99
Cash threshold reporting amount
Cash transactions above this amount trigger mandatory reporting requirements.
FICA Act 38 of 2001, Section 28
POPIA Compliance Statistics
Key statistics from the Protection of Personal Information Act (Act 4 of 2013), South Africa's data protection legislation.
R10 million
Maximum POPIA administrative fine
The Information Regulator can impose fines up to R10 million for serious POPIA violations.
POPIA Act 4 of 2013, Section 109
10 years
Maximum imprisonment for POPIA violations
Serious POPIA violations can result in imprisonment for up to 10 years.
POPIA Act 4 of 2013, Section 107
72 hours
Data breach notification deadline
Organizations must notify the Information Regulator and affected data subjects of a data breach as soon as reasonably possible.
POPIA Act 4 of 2013, Section 22
Identity Verification Statistics
Key metrics for identity verification services in South Africa, including Home Affairs integration and international coverage.
under 10 seconds
ID verification response time
Average time to verify a South African ID against the Home Affairs database.
VerifyNow platform metrics
190+
Countries covered for AML/PEP screening
Global sanctions and PEP database coverage for international compliance.
VerifyNow service coverage
57
Countries for vehicle number plate lookups
International vehicle registration lookup coverage.
VerifyNow service coverage
13 digits
South African ID number length
The standard format for South African ID numbers encoding date of birth, gender, and citizenship.
Department of Home Affairs
Key Regulatory References
FICA Act 38 of 2001
Financial Intelligence Centre Act - governs anti-money laundering compliance for accountable institutions.
View on FIC websitePOPIA Act 4 of 2013
Protection of Personal Information Act - South Africa's data protection law.
Learn moreInformation Regulator
The independent body that monitors and enforces POPIA compliance in South Africa.
Visit websiteEnsure Your Compliance Today
VerifyNow helps South African businesses meet FICA and POPIA requirements with instant identity verification.