30 Oct Local Knowledge, International Reach: Howard Griffiths on Investigating Across Africa
For Howard Griffiths, investigating means questioning what appears straightforward, understanding the environment in which information is gathered, and recognising when local knowledge is essential.
These principles have developed over more than four decades in the investigative profession. Based in Johannesburg, Howard is Managing Director of SSC Legacy Group, a second-generation family investigative business with roots dating back to 1962.
His career connects the experience of a family business with the changing demands of corporate investigations in South Africa and across the African continent.
Learning the profession alongside his father
Howard joined the business in 1984, working alongside his father, Archie Griffiths. He took over as Managing Director in 1994.
That progression gave him experience in both investigative work and the management of a business whose clients depend on professional judgement. Over the years, his work has included managing undercover operations involving more than 80 investigators.
One early assignment remains a significant example of the scale and complexity of his investigative experience: an 18-month undercover operation across provincial hospitals in South Africa.
The operation uncovered a multimillion-dollar pharmaceutical corruption scandal. For Howard, the experience reinforced the importance of vigilance, sound judgement and never taking information at face value.
Why investigating across Africa requires local understanding
Today, SSC Legacy conducts investigations across approximately 54 African countries. Its areas of work include corporate investigations, corruption, asset identification, forensic accounting, due diligence and security oversight.
Working across these jurisdictions requires an understanding of how information is held and accessed in each location.
Records that are readily available online in one country may exist only on paper in another. Legal frameworks, political conditions and access to reliable information also differ between jurisdictions.
These differences influence how an investigation can be approached and what information can realistically be obtained. Howard places considerable value on local knowledge and trusted relationships when navigating those conditions.
For businesses requiring investigations across Africa, understanding the local context is an essential part of assessing the information available.
Bringing new technology into established investigative practice
Howard’s career has spanned substantial technological change. While traditional investigative skills remain central to his work, he has also embraced new tools.
SSC Legacy now uses artificial intelligence to support the briefing and debriefing of undercover operatives. The company also uses technology that allows clients to interact directly with investigative reports.
These developments form part of a career that has continued to evolve alongside the profession, bringing new ways of working into a business built on decades of investigative experience.
The value of an international investigative network
Howard has been a member of the Council of International Investigators (CII) since 2012. He values the professional and personal relationships developed through the organisation.
As he puts it:
“No investigator can cover the world alone.”
That observation is particularly relevant when an enquiry crosses international borders. Investigators need to understand their own jurisdictions and know which colleagues they can trust elsewhere.
For Howard, international relationships complement the local knowledge required to work across Africa’s varied investigative environments.
Experience grounded in judgement and relationships
From learning alongside his father to managing extensive undercover operations and adopting new technology, Howard’s career reflects both continuity and change.
The tools available to investigators have developed, but the principles he highlights remain consistent: examine information carefully, understand the jurisdiction and recognise the value of trusted professional relationships.
Those principles continue to inform his leadership of SSC Legacy and its work in South Africa and across Africa.
To discuss a corporate investigation, due diligence enquiry or cross-border investigative requirement, contact SSC Legacy.