As Africa continues to make bold strides toward becoming a digitally connected continent, one crucial force is quietly powering this transformation: Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).  

Often overlooked but incredibly vital, DPI serves as the digital backbone of modern economies, enabling everything from secure digital IDs and seamless payments to data-sharing systems that connect governments, businesses, and citizens. In Africa, DPI is not just about technology; it’s about opportunity — the kind that can unlock financial inclusion, accelerate e-governance, and create more equitable access to services at scale.  

At its core, DPI is about unlocking access — to services, opportunities, to identity. In a continent where millions still lack formal identification, where financial exclusion is a daily reality, and where public services often struggle to reach the last mile, DPI offers a new promise: equity by design. 

In fact, DPI is emerging as a key driver of regional integration, knitting African countries closer together through digital rails — shared systems that foster cross-border connectivity, innovation, and trust. It plays a critical role in driving the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy  and supports the operationalization of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA ) by building the digital infrastructure needed for a truly borderless single market. If executed thoughtfully, it could be a foundational pillar in realizing the Africa We Want — borderless, inclusive, and digitally empowered.  

In this TechTalk Thursday edition, we unpack what exactly DPI is in the African scope, why it matters now more than ever for Africa, and what it will take to get it right.   

DPI in Africa: Digital Identity, Digital Payments, and Data Exchange   

In Africa, or technically anywhere in the world, DPI rests on three core pillars: Digital Identity, Digital Payments, and Data Exchange & Interoperability. But especially on our continent, where the challenges and opportunities of digital inclusion are profound and unique, these three pillars are not just technical building blocks but are essential enablers of social and economic change. 

Digital Identity: The Cornerstone of Inclusion  

Millions of Africans remain without formal identification, effectively invisible to governments, financial institutions, and essential services. According to the World Bank, over 40% of people across the continent lack any official ID — a staggering barrier that prevents many from opening bank accounts, accessing healthcare, enrolling in school, or exercising their right to vote. 

However, across Africa, countries are taking bold steps to implement digital identity frameworks that aim for both scale and inclusivity. Kenya’s Huduma Namba program is consolidating multiple government databases into one unified digital ID, simplifying access to public services. Nigeria’s National Identification Number (NIN) initiative pushes further by linking digital identity with mobile phone registration, opening critical service channels to millions in rural and marginalized communities. Ghana continues to build on its national ID infrastructure, while Malawi plans to launch a digital identity wallet by 2026 — a portable, secure tool designed for even the most connectivity-challenged regions.  

Yet, despite these advances, challenges persist. Nearly half a billion Africans still lack a foundational ID. While approximately 85% of African countries  have national ID systems with some digital capabilities, and over 70% collect biometric data for authentication, full inclusion remains an uphill climb. The African Union’s Interoperability Framework for Digital ID  envisions a future where digital identity systems seamlessly interact across borders, ensuring citizens can access public and private services securely, conveniently, and without geographic restrictions. This framework also emphasizes user control over personal data, allowing selective disclosure of information for specific transactions, thus balancing privacy with accessibility. 

At the heart of this vision is a transformative idea: A unified digital identity system — Africa’s own KYC (Know Your Customer) — is the foundation for a digital single market. 

And as Lacina Koné, CEO of Smart Africa, put it at MWC 2024: 

The KYC—where is the African KYC? It’s the foundation of a platform. With a platform backed by digital ID—essentially KYC—all African platforms can build on it… We should be calling for the development of a platform, which is based on the digital ID.

– Lacina Koné, CEO, Smart Africa

Without a shared digital identity infrastructure, Africa remains dependent on foreign platforms — and its digital future, scattered and insecure. With it, however, the continent can create a presence-less, paperless, and cashless economy, powered by trust, privacy, and inclusivity. 

Digital Payments: Powering Africa’s Economic Inclusion 

Digital payments are revolutionizing Africa’s economy by making financial services accessible to millions who were once excluded. With over 300 million mobile money accounts across Sub-Saharan Africa, platforms like Kenya’s M-Pesa have shown how technology can leapfrog traditional banking, bringing secure, instant transactions even to remote areas. 

Digital payments are a key pillar of DPI, enabling cashless, paperless transactions that connect with digital identity and social services. Nigeria’s Bank Verification Number (BVN) linked to payment systems is reducing fraud and simplifying access for users nationwide. 

On a regional scale, initiatives like the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) are enhancing cross-border trade by making payments faster, cheaper, and more secure within the AfCFTA. This integration opens new economic opportunities and strengthens regional unity. 

In essence, digital payments are catalysts for financial inclusion and economic empowerment, helping Africa build a resilient and dynamic digital economy for the future.  

Now, Africa is leading in digital payments and also boasts the largest free trade area. This dual progress is critical. Harmonization across different countries is essential and will naturally happen through the implementation of binding protocols under the AfCFTA. This will ensure that every trader can thrive in this market, facilitating seamless trade for a market of 1.4 billion people.

— Jean Pascal Mvondo, Regional Lead for Francophone Africa and the Middle East, UN Better Than Cash Alliance 

Data Exchange and Interoperability 

If digital identity is the key and digital payments are the engine, then data exchange is the connective tissue — the invisible bridge that allows all parts of a digital society to function in sync. But in Africa, this third pillar of DPI is still under construction. And like any bridge, its strength depends on how well it’s designed, grounded, and connected. 

At its heart, data exchange is about trust, making sure that institutions can share information safely, quickly, and in ways that respect privacy and sovereignty. It’s not just about collecting data, but making it usable across platforms, ministries, and even borders. When health systems can “talk” to identity databases, when schools and financial services share verified records, citizens get smoother access to essential services without the bureaucratic shuffle. 

Some countries are laying down innovative pathways. Uganda is building systems that prioritize localized needs, while Ghana is exploring frameworks that could help harmonize data sharing across sectors. These examples show that Africa doesn’t need to copy and paste models from elsewhere — it needs to reimagine its own.  

The African Union’s Data Policy Framework  offers a continental compass. It envisions a future where data flows freely, yet responsibly, across African borders, enabling smoother trade, faster services, and stronger regional unity under the AfCFTA. Interoperability becomes a continental strategy.  

Getting this right will mean turning fragmented digital islands into a thriving, interconnected ecosystem — one where data can move as freely as people, ideas, and opportunity. 

What It Takes: Laying the Groundwork for a Digitally Empowered Africa 

Indeed, DPI can enable inclusion at scale, connecting millions to essential services and economic opportunities. It also opens a new frontier for public-private collaboration, allowing governments and innovators to co-create context-driven digital solutions. Perhaps most importantly, DPI generates actionable data that fuels smarter decision-making and more targeted public policy. 

But major hurdles remain. Many communities still lack internet access, digital literacy and unevenly distributed, and public trust in data systems is fragile. Without strong governance, proper funding, and inclusive design, DPI risks reinforcing, rather than reducing exclusion.  

To realize the full promise of DPI, Africa must first lay the right foundation. That begins with investing in the basics: robust connectivity, reliable power, and interoperable systems. But the infrastructure alone isn’t enough. Legal and policy frameworks must ensure transparency, privacy, and data sovereignty — so that digital trust becomes a norm, not an exception. Solutions must also reflect local contexts — designed in languages people understand, tailored for low literacy or low bandwidth, and inclusive of all demographics. 

Equally vital is the spirit of collaboration. Governments can’t do it alone. They must partner with innovators, private sector players, civil society, and development partners to create ecosystems that are sustainable, scalable, and secure. Africa has the chance not just to digitize — but to build differently, boldly, and better.  

Promising initiatives like the Smart Africa Alliance are already laying critical groundwork. By championing interoperable, scalable, and inclusive digital public infrastructure, Smart Africa is helping governments align their digital ambitions with real-world outcomes.  

As Smart Africa, we have nearly 34 initiatives, with 12 in the pilot phase. We’re creating special purpose vehicles to scale up on the continent. A crucial aspect of digital transformation is digital identification, which we refer to as E-KYC (Know Your Customer). It’s vital to transform Africa into a single digital market. To truly transform society, we need digitized government services and private sector initiatives to reach every corner of the continent. We have moved beyond just talking about these issues and are now taking action.

– Lacina Kone, CEO, SMART Africa   

With the right foundation, digital public infrastructure can be Africa’s great equalizer — unlocking opportunity, fueling innovation, and ensuring no one is left behind in the digital age.