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Advanced Electronic Signatures

Execute contracts up to 80% faster with full legal validity—sign from anywhere, on any device, in minutes.

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Learn about digital signing from the crocodile

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The crocodile's lasting impact

Nile crocodiles have survived 200 million years virtually unchanged—a testament to perfect design. When a crocodile bites, it leaves a distinctive, permanent mark with 3,700 PSI of force—impossible to fake, enduring evidence that remains identifiable long after the encounter.

crocodile

 

Your paper problem

 

Let's talk about what really happens with traditional document signing.

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The timeline nobody wants
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  • Monday: Legal finalises contract, prints it, sends via courier

  • Tuesday-Wednesday: Document sits in courier system

  • Thursday: Document arrives, sits on the recipient's desk

  • Friday: Recipient signs, returns via courier

  • Monday: Document somewhere in return journey

  • Tuesday: Document arrives back, gets scanned, filed

Total time: 7-14 days for a simple signature 

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The typical costs* that accumulate
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  • Printing costs: R50 per contract 
  • Courier fees: R150 each way (R300 total) 
  • Staff time: 2 hours managing the process 
  • Physical storage: R20,000+ annually for filing rooms 
  • Lost documents: 5-10% require re-execution 
  • Environmental impact: Thousands of pages annually 

*Stats & costs are estimates and vary based on scenario

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The risks nobody considers
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  • Documents lost in transit (happens more than anyone admits) 
  • Signatures forged (easier than you'd think) 
  • Pages swapped after signing (no way to detect) 
  • No proof of who signed when 
  • Difficult to prove authenticity years later 
  • No audit trail of the signing process 

Meanwhile, your competitors using electronic signatures are closing deals in hours, not weeks. 

How Advanced Electronic Signatures work

 

The technology delivering crocodile-strong permanence through eight steps

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Step 1: Enrollment
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The user completes a onceoff identity verification, during which a trained enrolment agent conducts a facetoface AES check, verifies their personal information and identity documents, captures a selfie, and has the user sign a subscriber agreement and set a password for their enrolment profile and signing certificate.
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Step 2: Document upload
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User uploads document to secure signing platform (PDF, Word, any format)
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Step 3: Signer configuration
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Define who needs to sign, in what order, with what authentication level 
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Step 4: Signer notification
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 Signers receive email with secure link to document, login with their email address and/or SMS OTP. 
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Step 5: Document review and signing
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Signers review document on any device, apply cryptographic signature 
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Step 6: Identity verification
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To apply the signature signers authenticate using: 

  • SMS one-time password (optional for simple electronic signatures) 
  • Multi-factor authentication (required for all PKI based digital or advanced certificates  
  • Biometric authentication (can be implemented as one of the factors for the above multi-factor authentication) 
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Step 7: Cryptographic sealing 
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Document sealed with: 

  • RSA signing algorithm, SHA-265 hashing algorithm and the AES-256 is for data encryption of data at rest, TLS 1.2 data in transit. Our solution supports RSA & ECDSA signing algorithms
  • Trusted timestamp
  • Certificate chain validation
  • Tamper-detection seal
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Step 8: Distribution
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All parties receive signed document automatically, final copies are temporarily kept securely in cloud with complete audit trail until retrieved by customer for archival.  

Total time: Minutes, not days. 

The three levels of Electronic Signatures

 

Simple Electronic Signatures Examples: Typed name, scanned signature image, checkbox click 

Characteristics: Low security, limited legal standing, minimal audit trail

Best for: Low-value, low-risk documents 

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Global Digital AATL (Adobe Approved Trust List) Signature
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  • PKI-based digital certificates 
  • Strong signer authentication 
  • Tamper detection 
  • Complete audit trail 
  • Legal validity in most jurisdictions

Best for: Business contracts, employment agreements, financial documents

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RSA Advanced Electronic Signatures
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(Altron Security Specialisation)  SAAA accredited Advanced cryptographic signature: 

  • PKI-based digital certificates 
  • Strong signer authentication 
  • Tamper detection 
  • Complete audit trail 
  • Recognised as prima-facie valid in South Africa  
  • Required for specific regulated documents (ECTA) 
  • Highest level (equivalent to wet signatures in SA)
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Simple Electronic Signatures
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  • Examples: Typed name, scanned signature image, checkbox click

  • Characteristics: Low security, limited legal standing, minimal audit trail 
    Best for: Low-value, low-risk documents

Benefits and differentiators

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Approx up to 80% faster execution*
Close deals same-day vs. same-week
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Approx 85% cost reduction*
R25K → R1.2K per 100 contracts
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Legally binding
Full ECTA/AATL compliance
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Tamper-evident
Cryptographic seal with instant detection
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Complete audit trails
Forensic-level evidence for disputes
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Mobile-first
Sign from any device, anywhere, anytime

*Stats and figures are approximate and differ based on scenario

Legal validity: The definitive answer

"But is it legally binding?" Definitively yes—often MORE binding than wet signatures.

South African Law (ECTA):

  • Electronic signatures have same legal status as handwritten
  • Advanced eSignatures satisfy all signature requirements
  • Admissible as evidence in court
  • Non-repudiation: signers cannot deny signing

Why advanced eSignatures are stronger than wet signatures

 

  • Complete audit trail (who, when, where, device)
  • Tamper evident (any changes invalidate signature) 
  • Identity verification (stronger than checking photo ID)
  • Timestamp proof (trusted third-party time source)
  • Certificate chain (cryptographic proof of identity)

Traditional wet signatures? Just ink marks that can be forged with practice. No audit trail. No tamper detection. No proof of timing. Not identity linked to the signer.

Real-world impact

**Figures are estimates and differ based on scenario.

An insurance company

Before

5 days average policy issuance

After

2 hours average

Volume

Thousands of policies signed annually

Savings

Millions of rands in operational costs**

CX

Increased 45%**

Result

Competitive advantage in fast quote-to-policy time

Real-world impact

 

**Figures are estimates and differ based on scenario.

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average (after)
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volume of policies annually
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savings in operational costs
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result: competitive advantage in fast quote-to-policy time

A major South African bank moved 50,000 employees to PKI authentication:

  • Zero password-related breaches in 5 years

  • 90% reduction in helpdesk tickets

  • R15 million saved annually

  • Complete audit trail for compliance

Use cases across industries

Get in toch icon Legal & Professional Services: Client engagement letters, settlements, powers of attorney, court filings
Get in toch icon Financial Services: Loan applications, account opening, credit agreements, KYC/FICA documents
Get in toch icon Human resources: Employment contracts, benefits enrollment, policy acknowledgments, performance reviews
Get in toch icon Sales and business Development: Customer contracts, NDAs, partnership agreements, proposals
Get in toch icon Healthcare: Patient consents, HIPAA authorization, treatment agreements, prescriptions
Get in toch icon Real Estate: Purchase agreements, leases, disclosures, financing documents

Use cases across industries

Wallet and Hand - Finance Icon_Altron HealthTech Legal & professional services: Client engagement letters, settlements, powers of attorney, court filings
Data Analysis_5-1 Financial services: Loan applications, account opening, credit agreements, KYC/FICA documents
Yellow Laptop Graph Icon_Altron HealthTech Human resources: Employment contracts, benefits enrolment, policy acknowledgements, performance reviews
Altron icons - In square - Green_Network 8 Sales & business development: Customer contracts, NDAs, partnership agreements, proposals
Yellow Shield Icon_Altron HealthTech Healthcare: Patient consents, HIPAA authorisation, treatment agreements, prescriptions
Altron icons - In square - Green_Network 9 Real Estate: Purchase agreements, leases, disclosures, financing documents

Use cases across industries

Legal & professional services
Client engagement letters, settlements, powers of attorney, court filings
Financial services
Loan applications, account opening, credit agreements, KYC/FICA documents
Human resources
Employment contracts, benefits enrolment, policy acknowledgements, performance reviews
Sales & business development
Customer contracts, NDAs, partnership agreements, proposals
Healthcare
Patient consents, HIPAA authorisation, treatment agreements, prescriptions
Real Estate
Purchase agreements, leases, disclosures, financing documents

Beyond cost savings: strategic value

 

img_rounded_security_TS CERTIFICATES
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Business velocity
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  • Close deals up to 80%* faster
  • Real-time contract execution
  • No geographic limitations
  • Sign from anywhere, anytime

 

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Customer experience
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  • Professional, modern interaction
  • Mobile-friendly signing
  • Instant confirmation
  • No printing, mailing, scanning

 

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Risk reduction
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  • Tamper-evident documents 
  • Non-repudiation (can't deny signing)
  • Complete audit trails
  • Legal validity assured
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Operational efficiency
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  • Automated workflows
  • Integration with CRM, ERP, document management
  • Reduced administrative overhead
  • Faster processing
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Compliance support
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  • Regulatory compliance (FICA and POPIA)
  • Audit-ready documentation
  • Retention policy enforcement
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Environmental sustainability
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  • Eliminate paper consumption
  • Reduce carbon footprint from shipping
  • Support ESG commitments
  • Corporate responsibility

 

 

The Altron Security advantage

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Legally compliant
ECTA/AATL compliant
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PKI-backed
Strong signer authentication with digital certificates
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Tamper-evident
Cryptographic integrity protection
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Mobile-first
Sign from any device, anywhere
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Integration ready
APIs for CRM, ERP, document management
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Long-term validation
Signatures remain valid indefinitely

Ready to explore our Advanced Electronic eSignature solutions? 

 

 

 

Ready to explore our advanced electronic eSignature solutions? 

Speak to an advanced electronic eSignature expert
Download our field guide to identity security
Download the advanced electronic eSignature fact card
Frequently Asked Questions
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