Over the past few years, Google has significantly tightened its Play Console developer verification requirements to improve user trust and safety. While the global mandate for D-U-N-S numbers, strict legal identity checks, and payment profile linkages has helped curb malicious apps, it has inadvertently created a massive bottleneck for developers in emerging markets.

If you are an Android developer in Kenya or across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), chances are you’ve felt the friction. What is supposed to be a straightforward compliance update often turns into a months-long bureaucratic loop.

The good news? The Google Play team is currently collecting direct feedback from developers in our region to better understand the localized impact of these processes and address them.

The Sub-Saharan publishing reality

Local startups, agencies, and independent developers have been raising the alarm on how standard global policies don’t always align with local administrative realities. The Google Play team is specifically looking for data from developers, founders, and organizations who have experienced the following:

The DUNS number hurdle: Challenges or massive delays in obtaining a Dun & Bradstreet (D-U-N-S) number, which is now mandatory for Organization accounts.
Verification limbo: Endless organization verification delays, often caused by minor address formatting mismatches between local utility bills, bank statements, and the DUNS registry.
Hidden costs: Additional, unexpected costs incurred during the verification process just to get legal documents recognized or formatted correctly.
Delayed go-to-market: Product and app launches being pushed back by weeks or even months while waiting for the Play Console banners to clear.
Forced compromises: Startups resorting to publishing enterprise apps through a Personal Account rather than an Organization account, or being forced to use third-party partner agencies to bypass the verification headache entirely.

If any of this sounds familiar, your data is needed. Google relies on ecosystem feedback to tweak its support structures and exceptions. Without concrete data from Kenyan and SSA developers, the assumption is that the system is working perfectly.

How to share your experience

Google has opened the Google Play Developer Support Feedback form to gather detailed accounts of the issues you are currently facing. You are highly encouraged to be as detailed as possible in the description section—explain exactly where the process broke down for you and how it impacted your business or launch timeline.

The survey is brief but highly specific. Here is a breakdown of what you will need to fill out:

Email address: The email you wish to associate with your response.
App package ID: Your specific Android application package name (e.g., com.yourcompany.yourapp).
Issue category: You will need to select the area of Google Play you are struggling with. Options include:
- App publishing & review
- Policy & compliance
- Google Play Console access
- Play billing & payments
- User feedback & ratings
- Technical APIs & integrations
- Other
Detailed description: This is the most crucial part. Clearly explain your exact challenge with DUNS, document rejections, or account type limitations.
Duration of the issue: Select how long you’ve been stuck (Less than 24 hours, 1 to 7 days, 1 to 4 weeks, or More than a month).
Developer account ID (optional): Providing this helps the support team look directly into your specific case.
Follow-up opt-in: You can choose whether you want the Google team to contact you for further follow-up (and provide a preferred contact email if you say yes).

Don’t suffer in silence while your app gathers dust in draft mode. Take a few minutes to fill out the survey and detail your experience. More importantly, share this with other Android developers, product managers, and tech founders across Kenya and SSA. The more localized data the Google Play team receives, the better equipped they are to streamline the developer verification process for the African ecosystem.