Malawi is advancing efforts to strengthen its digital identity infrastructure, with government and international partners reviewing progress on an e-KYC and Digital Identity Project designed to improve access to financial services and support the country’s wider digital transformation. The initiative is being implemented with the Reserve Bank of Malawi and …
West Africa Expands Instant Payments Network to 175 Financial Institutions
The Central Bank of West African States has expanded access to its regional instant payments platform, with 175 financial institutions and payment providers now authorised to offer interoperable services across eight West African countries. The latest list, published by the BCEAO at the end of September, covers banks, electronic money …
Nigeria awards Thales contract for new satellite to expand digital connectivity
Nigeria is strengthening its satellite communications infrastructure after government-owned NIGCOMSAT signed an agreement with Thales Alenia Space to develop a new telecommunications satellite aimed at expanding connectivity across Africa. Known as NigComSat-2A, the geostationary satellite is being designed to provide a range of communications services, including television broadcasting, broadband internet, …
South Africa Advances Digital Government Drive with First Digital ID Prototype
South Africa has unveiled the first working prototype of its national Digital ID, marking a major step in the government’s plan to transform how citizens access identity and Home Affairs services. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber demonstrated the new digital credential at Constitution Hill, using his own personal information to …
Uganda Moves to Single National Identifier for Tax and Government Services
Uganda is moving ahead with plans to use the National Identification Number, or NIN, as the primary tax identifier for individuals, in a reform designed to simplify access to public services and improve the way government agencies share and verify citizen information. The change follows Cabinet approval on 1 September …
Togo puts business tax filing and payments fully online
Togo has taken another step towards digitising government services after the country’s revenue authority launched a new online platform allowing eligible businesses and taxpayers to declare and pay the Single Business Tax electronically. The e-TPU platform, introduced on September 17 by the Office Togolais des Recettes (OTR), is aimed primarily …
Dashen Bank and Visa strike five-year deal to expand digital payments in Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s digital payments landscape is set for further expansion after Dashen Bank and Visa agreed to a five-year partnership aimed at increasing the use and availability of electronic payment services across the country. The agreement, announced in Addis Ababa this 16 September, will focus on several areas of the payments …
Nigeria accelerates $2bn fibre rollout with three-year completion target
Nigeria has brought forward the timetable for one of its largest digital infrastructure projects, with the government now aiming to complete a planned 90,000-kilometre national fibre network within three years. The revised schedule was announced by Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Minister Bosun Tijani at Semafor’s The Next 3 Billion …
Senegal Puts Data Sovereignty and AI at the Heart of Digital Transformation
Senegal is reshaping its digital transformation agenda around sovereign cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence as the government seeks to turn its technology plans into projects with a direct impact on public services. The priorities form part of the New Deal Technologique, Senegal’s national digital strategy covering areas including digital infrastructure, …
Liberia Plans Integrated Digital Identity System Linking IDs and Civil Records
Liberia is preparing to modernise its national identity infrastructure by connecting the national identification system with civil registration and vital statistics records under a proposed US$54 million public-private partnership. The planned upgrade would create a digital framework linking identity records with key life events, including births and deaths. The National …
Malawi Brings National Identity into the Digital Age with Nzika Wallet
Malawi has launched the Nzika Digital ID Wallet, giving citizens a new way to access and manage official identity documents while removing expiry dates from national identity cards. The initiative was unveiled in Lilongwe on September 16 during International Identity Day and Africa ID Day, marking a decade of cooperation …
Uganda Digitises Land Verification to Tackle Property Fraud
Uganda is moving to replace paper-based identity checks in land transactions with a digital verification system designed to make it harder for fraudsters to impersonate property owners or forge official documents. The National Information Technology Authority-Uganda (NITA-U) is developing the system around its UGPass platform, linking digital signatures and document …












