What is a trace?

A trace is an attempt to locate an individual who needs to be contacted but appears to be no longer residing at their last known address, or with whom contact has been lost for some reason. These individuals are known as ‘gone-always’. Businesses may use a variety of different sources, including client information, publicly available databases and credit reference agency data in order to try and locate a new address for the individual.

“Tracing is a legitimate and useful activity—but it is also something that can cause anxiety and even harm to those who are the subjects of tracing enquiries and to others who get caught up in the process for some reason. As tracing involves handling personal information, it must be done fairly and in compliance with the POPI Act.