Practical advice
Access a range of educational materials to help with your due diligence and corporate intelligence investigations
Quality control in an artisan jewellery studio, South Africa
From the art of making a compelling sales pitch to a sign of quality in some of the world’s most desirable objects, the value of clarity should not be underestimated.
Learning zone
25 May, 2023
Risk-based due diligence
How do you decide what is an appropriate level of due diligence to conduct on your third parties – of which there may be thousands – without having first conducted the due diligence to know how risky each counterparty is? ...
Learning zone
15 March, 2023
What is business intelligence?
Anyone introducing themselves as a lawyer, accountant or doctor need offer no further explanation of their profession, knowing that their audience can perfectly imagine them negotiating contracts, filing annual accounts, or...
Learning zone
2 November, 2022
Asset tracing in the Middle East and Africa: ground rules, guidelines and good practice
Resolving disputes such as unpaid debt, unsettled judgments and contractual claims is a time-consuming, complex and unfortunate cost of business. When a business dispute becomes legal, the primary consideration is whether the...
Learning zone
18 October, 2022
Company research in Francophone Africa: Instructions not included
Picture the scene: your new, long-awaited piece of flatpack furniture has arrived and now you need to assemble it. Except that there are pieces missing, and no instructions – and even if instructions are included, they are in an...
Learning zone
25 April, 2022
The Case for Clarity – the importance of verified company information
Those of you investing in the emerging markets of Africa or the Middle East will likely be looking for clarity on some of the mechanisms and levers for growing your commercial interests in these regions– one of which is...
Learning zone
3 March, 2022
Source of wealth indicators in Africa and the wider Middle East
One of the areas where compliance teams can struggle is to establish and verify the source of wealth of an individual. Even FATF regulations and EU AML directives acknowledge the difficulty of the exercise, calling for a...
Learning zone
14 December, 2021
How entity data can help you meet regulatory requirements: why it matters and where to start
Uncovering entity data is a basic component of due diligence, but how does this data enable businesses ensure that they are meeting regulatory requirements? Keep reading for an overview on utilising entity data to address key...
Learning zone
15 November, 2021
Degrees of dysfunction – Free zones in the Middle East & Africa
Free zones – special economic jurisdictions which promote trade by suspending customs duties – are like Tolstoy’s description of families: while all functional free zones are alike, each dysfunctional free zone is dysfunctional...
Learning zone
4 May, 2021
Harnessing the potential of data: A balancing act
Diligencia’s Patrick Lord recently made the opening remarks for a panel discussion on the title topic as part of the International Compliance Association’s Big Compliance Festival. In his introduction as reported below, Patrick...
Learning zone
19 April, 2021
Over-Stated? The prevalence of State ownership in the MENA region
The rise of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) in the Gulf and the wider MENA region has drawn attention to the significant role that governments play in regional economies via State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs). The reasons for this tap...