“Identity fraud is the theft or misrepresentation of someone’s identity for financial gain, thereby causing immense harm, from personal financial losses to the erosion of trust in digital systems.” — Charlette N’Guessan, Founder of BACE Group.
Charlette N’Guessan, is combating identity fraud in Africa. Inspired by the rampant identity fraud affecting people and businesses on the continent, in 2018, the Ivorian tech entrepreneur founded BACE Group to provide innovative solutions needed to combat this pervasive issue. Through her flagship product, BACE API, N’Guessan has redefined how Africa addresses online security, positioning herself as a leader in the continent’s digital transformation.
Identity fraud is a growing problem in Africa, with widespread consequences for businesses and individuals. The problem is escalating rapidly, with reports showing an alarming average year-on-year growth rate of 167% in identity fraud cases across the continent.
Countries like South Africa and Niger have seen fraud rates surpassing 300%. The financial impact is significant, with cybercrime losses running into millions of dollars annually. This crisis shows the urgent need for tailored, accessible solutions that can effectively address the challenge of identity fraud.
BACE Group is at the forefront of tackling these issues with its innovative BACE API. The API uses artificial intelligence and facial recognition to enable secure, remote identity verification. By capturing live images or short videos using a smartphone, the system matches these captures against government-issued IDs or pre-saved reference images to ensure accurate identity verification.
Unlike traditional methods that require expensive hardware and complex processes, BACE API makes identity verification cost-effective and scalable, allowing businesses and individuals to combat fraud without compromising accessibility.
The API’s ability to integrate seamlessly into existing systems has been crucial to its success. Ghana’s financial institutions and service providers are already adopting it, enhancing Know Your Customer (KYC) processes and helping organisations mitigate fraud risks. In addition, BACE Group has partnered with government agencies to access national databases, strengthening its verification capabilities and ensuring the solution is robust and reliable. BACE’s cross-industry applications foster trust and transparency in various sectors, from agriculture to education.
N’Guessan’s work has not gone unnoticed. In 2020, she became the first woman to win the prestigious Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, awarded by the Royal Academy of Engineering. This accolade recognised her leadership in leveraging technology for social good. She also received the Excellence Award in Disruptive Technology by CISO in 2022, highlighting her significant contributions to tackling Africa’s unique cybersecurity challenges.
The impact of BACE API is not limited to its technical innovation. As Cameron Burt, founder of MarketDoor Solutions, puts it, “Most AI facial recognition systems are not ideally suited for African conditions. BACE has developed cost-effective, scalable APIs tailored to the African market.” This focus on localisation ensures that the API addresses the unique challenges of the African digital landscape, delivering real-world solutions that matter.
Through its work, BACE Group is bridging the digital identity gap and empowering individuals who previously lacked access to essential services. By facilitating financial inclusion and reducing fraud, BACE is helping to build trust between businesses and communities across Africa. Aside from fraud prevention, Charlette N’Guessan is laying the foundation for a more inclusive and transparent digital economy that benefits all Africans.
