The Green Handi Verified Badge: What It Means and Why It Matters
A verified badge on Handi means we have checked the provider's ID against a government-issued document. Here is the bar we hold — and why we keep it high.
You will see a small green shield next to some provider names on Handi. That is our ID Verified badge. This is what earns it.
What we check
- Government-issued South African ID or passport
- Selfie holding the ID (matches the photo and is a real person)
- Phone number verified via one-time code
- For trade-regulated services: relevant registration (PIRB, ECB, etc.)
What we do NOT check (yet)
We are transparent about this: ID Verified does not currently include a criminal record check or a full credit check. We are working on a tiered system where a second, higher-trust badge covers those.
Why the bar matters
Two-sided marketplaces live or die on the signal-to-noise ratio of their trust layer. A verified badge that you can earn with a fake selfie is worse than no badge at all — it breeds false confidence. We review every submission manually, and we reject more than you might think.
What if a verified provider does something wrong?
The badge is revocable. A confirmed report of scam behaviour, impersonation, or falsified paperwork gets the badge removed immediately and the account suspended pending review. The audit log captures every admin action for accountability.
See a verified badge where it does not belong? The flag on any profile routes straight to the admin team. We investigate every report.