Data Factory
Outsourcing in Johannesburg

Since 2004 we have assisted over 750 retirement funds with services ranging from tracing former members, obtaining documentation and facilitating the payment of benefits owing.
The Data Factory is an outsourced service provider providing solutions to the Retirement Funding Industry, with a niche focus upon early withdrawal administration, specifically covering processes associated with unclaimed benefits, surplus apportionment schemes and section 37 death claims.

The Data Factory is the leading tracing service provider to the South African Retirement Fund industry providing a range of services relating to unclaimed benefits. These services and processes have been developed and enhanced while dealing with over 1,200 funds and 1,100,000 former members since While the TDF Basic Trace offers a cost effective and rapid trace service, it will not be able to address and resolve all member records that need to be traced. The Data Factory (TDF) and Teba have concluded an agreement to provide TDF clients with a physical tracing service. Whether in conjunction with our trace services or as a stand-alone service, TDF is able to assist funds with receipt, checking and capture of withdrawal option form information, and other mandatory documentation. Since 2004 The Data Factory has focused exclusively upon providing trace and related services in respect of unclaimed benefits and unpaid surplus monies to the South African retirement fund industry. The company continually enhances its systems and processes, while driving innovation to ensure trace results are optimised without compromising on service excellence. Clients and former members can expect to receive the benefits of almost 10 years expertise and experience in resolving unclaimed benefits in the most effective and efficient manner possible. The Data Factory offers a wide range of trace options incorporating both active and passive services while providing further assistance to retirement fund administrators through value add services, such as documentation receipt, bank account verification and electronic document delivery. The multi-channel call centre utilises telephone, email, post, fax and sms with call centre consultants providing multi-lingual support. The Forensic Trace requires extensive individual and manual member record interrogation, fund administrator communication and exhaustive trace attempts, which result in increased associated costs and therefore carries a higher success based fee than the Basic Trace service. In our experience up to 35% of individuals who enter the Forensic Trace Service are traced, which is over and above the individuals traced under the Basic Trace Service. The documentation service and benefits apply to the Forensic Trace as they do to the Basic Trace service. The Teba-TDF agreement provides TDF clients with the largest formal network of offices and tracing agents in South Africa, with a strong focus in rural areas and neighbouring countries. With more than 101 offices in all traditional labour-sending areas and a presence on more than 26 mines, Teba has a unique footprint through which tracing services are provided. Each office has between one and four fieldworkers who perform tracing services. Lisa Consultants have over 5 years’ experience in tracing unclaimed benefit beneficiaries and are well versed in documentary requirements. When combined with Level One Basic Trace and a Level Two Forensic Trace, the Physical Trace service provides funds with the most comprehensive tracing capability in South Africa. It places further pressure on fund administrator resources which could be better allocated to processing tax requirements and payment. However, trustees are not normally administration or tracing experts which means that if not all factors are taken into account in the decision making process, a positive step can result in negative and frustrating outcomes. It is also imperative that any due diligence undertaken ensures apples are compared with apples in terms of services offered. Experience and expertise in tracing unclaimed benefits for retirement funds\. Quality assessment and control procedures to reduce risk factors. Up to 15% of unclaimed member data has incorrect or incomplete initials, incorrect surname spelling and invalid date of birth which a service provider must have the means to correct or else individual will not be traced.