Continuous facial security goes live in SA

A new system designed to continuously verify an authorised user’s presence throughout a digital session has been launched in South Africa. Continuous Facial Recognition with Liveness is being offered locally by Flownamix Group.

The launch includes Secure Enterprise Messaging, which protects communications through verified identities and end-to-end encryption. Both products use patented technology from YEO Messaging.

“The introduction comes at a time when organisations are re-evaluating how they establish trust in digital environments,” say the companies. “The rise of identity fraud, AI-enabled impersonation and increasingly sophisticated cybercrime is driving demand for technology that provides stronger identity assurance beyond the point of login.”

According to the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC), digital banking fraud incidents increased by 86% in 2024, while associated losses rose by 74% to nearly R1.9-billion. Continuous Facial Recognition with Liveness and Secure Enterprise Messaging can provide identity verification and secure communications across the digital journey.

Leon van der Merwe, Flownamix Group CEO, says: “Our partnership with YEO Messaging, combined with Continuous Facial Recognition (CFR) technology, represents an important step towards secure, identity-assured communication where the person receiving, viewing or acting on sensitive information can be continuously and confidently verified.

“For Flownamix Group, this partnership is not simply about adding another layer of authentication. We believe this approach will become increasingly important for regulated industries, enterprises and service providers that need to protect confidential information, reduce impersonation risk and strengthen accountability across digital interactions.”

In SA, Continuous Facial Recognition with Liveness and Secure Enterprise Messaging are distributed through Datanamix, SigniFlow and SMSFlow, with local support from Flownamix Group and YEO Messaging.

Flownamix Group’s distribution role follows a strategic commercial agreement with ExSo, the African licence holder for YEO Messaging’s technology, under which Flownamix Group was appointed as a distributor within ExSo’s territories.

Christo Conidaris, YEO Messaging chief revenue officer, says: “South Africa is experiencing exactly the fraud escalation we see across financial services globally. Organisations that verify identity at login and trust the session thereafter are exposed. Our partnership with Flownamix Group and ExSo brings continuous, on-device identity verification to a market where the demand for it is already urgent. At YEO, we are proud to be the technology powering this.”

At the core of Continuous Facial Recognition with Liveness is YEO Messaging’s patented CFR technology. This can enable organisations to embed continuous identity verification into existing web and mobile applications as an additional layer of identity assurance. The product is designed to integrate with existing authentication, identity and security environments.

Continuous Facial Recognition with Liveness uses advanced facial mapping, anti-spoofing liveness detection and depth verification to help detect impersonation and session hijacking in real time. A privacy-first architecture aims to keep biometric data securely stored on the user’s device instead of a central database.

Secure Enterprise Messaging can enable organisations to embed secure, identity-verified messaging, voice and video calling into existing applications. The technology is delivered through the YEO Messaging SDK and YEO for Business. The system combines verified identities with end-to-end encryption and enterprise-grade privacy controls to support trusted communications between customers, employees and partners.

Both products are designed to complement existing technology investments. Organisations can deploy Continuous Facial Recognition with Liveness, Secure Enterprise Messaging, or both, depending on their existing security architecture, operational requirements and broader digital transformation strategy.

The initial market focus includes banking, financial services, fintech and insurance, where stronger identity assurance can support trust, compliance and accountability across digital interactions.