New recruitment platform aiming to protect job seekers from scams enters the market

A new employment platform,Spaan,was launched in Rosebank on Tuesday.

Thato Gololo/News24

New employment platform Spaan launched on Tuesday with 252 users,aiming to protect job seekers from scams in both formal and informal sectors.Spaan uses USSD codes and WhatsApp to improve access for users without smartphones or data.The platform was created in response to widespread job scams that have led to some victims incurring debt,with one person losing over R60 000 in just two weeks.

A new employment platform was launched on Tuesday to protect job seekers from scams that prey on unemployed job seekers.

Founder and CEO Afika Nontso said Spaan aims to restore trust in the job market through verification while ensuring accessibility.

He said the platform was built for both the formal and informal job sectors.

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“The first part when looking at [the informal] market is access. Do they have access to the internet and technology that will allow them to come onto the platform? It’s not like the formal sector where you can catch them all online. We need to meet these people where they are.”

As of Tuesday,the official launch day,the platform had 252 users. Spaan distinguishes itself by utilising USSD and WhatsApp for registration to make the service more accessible to those without smartphones or data.

Nontso previously worked for a company that assisted the City of Tshwane in implementing its Expanded Public Works Programme,a government programme aimed at creating work opportunities for unemployed people.

He said the programme had massive growth once it implemented its USSD-based registration system.

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Realising that access to verifiable but accessible job opportunities was lacking in South Africa,he was motivated to launch the platform. He has spent the last ten months working on realising his goal.

The platform allows verified employers to send job offers through Spaan,which job seekers can accept via WhatsApp or USSD. Its search feature enables employers to filter candidates based on criteria including age,criminal background checks and driver’s licence status.

Employers can only see candidates who have verified their ID,which costs R30. Similarly,an employer can only register on the platform by connecting a verified ID.

A job scam victim told News24 about being approached via WhatsApp for a freelance writing position.

The victim,who asked not to be named said:

I was approached online via WhatsApp to say there is a part-time freelance writer gig,and I think what interested me then is that it would not take too much of my time.

The scammers requested banking details and instructed the victim to download Telegram. They then requested increasing amounts of money to access additional jobs,promising that the money would be returned with commission.

The scam resulted in over R60 000 in debt within two weeks,beginning with small deposits of R250. When she requested her money back,the scammers disabled the WhatsApp and Telegram contacts.

She said a platform like Spaan would have “helped a lot” in her research to determine if the company that approached her was legitimate.

Nontso says his goal is to require a Spaan verification report from every employer and job seeker in the country to avoid situations such as this.