For inspection companies and certification bodies
Inspection jobs and digital certificates for the commodity trade.
Commodity Plus runs a network of certified inspectors across Africa's main trade routes. Professional inspection companies with trained graders and local coverage can apply to join. Jobs go to the nearest qualified inspector, and every certificate is stored in a permanent, checkable record.
How jobs are assigned
Contracts set the inspection schedule. Jobs are assigned automatically.
Each contract lists the inspections needed and when they happen — at the farm, at collection, at the warehouse, and before shipping. When a step calls for an inspection, the platform assigns it to the nearest qualified inspector, based on their commodity certification, their area, and whether they're free.
The digital inspection process
Checklists for each commodity. GPS-tagged photos. Certificates that can't be changed.
Inspectors work from mobile checklists built around the right international grading standard for each commodity. Every finished inspection produces a digital certificate stamped with the time, the location, and photo evidence.
Once issued, a certificate can't be edited by anyone. Buyers, sellers, lenders, and government authorities can all view the inspection records that relate to their own deals.
Performance in view
Inspection quality is measured and tracked.
The platform tracks how many certificates each inspector issues, which commodities they cover, how quickly they turn work around, and how often their certificates are challenged at the destination. Your management team sees it all on a dashboard.
When two inspectors grade the same lot differently, the platform flags it for review. Certificate expiry dates are tracked, and refresher training is scheduled ahead of time.
Payment
Rates agreed upfront. Paid when you submit the certificate.
Inspection costs are set in the buyer–seller contract and split between them. You keep a rate card by commodity, inspection stage, and area, and the platform invoices whoever is responsible as soon as the finished certificate is submitted.
Requirements
What you need to join the network.
- Local coverage
- A presence in or near major production areas and export routes in East Africa, West Africa, the Great Lakes region, or Southern Africa.
- Certified graders
- Inspectors trained and certified to international standards — ICO Q-graders for coffee, UNECE-trained assessors for fresh produce, and labs able to test minerals.
- Comfortable with the app
- The inspection app works offline and syncs when you're back online. Your inspectors should be comfortable working on a mobile app.
- Professional insurance
- Insurance cover that matches the value of the goods you certify.
Government grading bodies
National grading bodies can connect to the platform.
Government standards bureaus and plant-health authorities with their own grading teams can connect their inspectors to the platform. Their certificates carry official government weight, and plant-health (phytosanitary) certificates fit into their existing processes.
Apply
Submit an application.
Tell us about your company — the areas you cover, your commodity certifications, your team size, and your lab capability. We check your credentials and insurance, then set your inspectors up on the app with commodity training and a grading check.