Africa is on the cusp of a digital transformation – and digital ID is the key to unlocking it. By the end of 2025, there will be 9.5 billion people on Earth, and 25% of these people will be African. By 2100, that number will rise to 4 in 10. Africa is also the youngest continent, with a median age of 18 and 40% of its population under 14. Empowering this generation means more than just smartphones and internet access – it means building the foundational infrastructure to enable people to participate in society, protect their rights, and access opportunities. Digital ID is one of those structures.
With over 500 million Africans still lacking a formal ID, closing this gap represents one of the greatest opportunities for inclusive growth on the continent. There’s already clear evidence of how safe, inclusive digital ID is driving development and improving citizens’ lives across Africa, expanding access to healthcare, education, and financial services. This especially impacts those who have historically been excluded – from women without documentation to rural populations without access to banks.
Several African countries have opted to transition their national ID systems into digital ID systems, providing more streamlined access to basic services, including education, healthcare, and social support payments. Ethiopia is adopting digital ID using MOSIP’s open source ID platform, which not only guarantees national sovereignty but also aims to enrol at least 100 million Ethiopians.
At Co-Develop, we work with governments and civil society to ensure digital ID systems are built in a way that earns trust. That includes supporting tools like MOSIP and contributing to frameworks like the UNDP Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Safeguards, which help countries design infrastructure that protects rights from the start. This means embedding transparency, security, and accountability into every layer of system design—and involving the public in the process.
Yet, there are still concerns and misconceptions surrounding digital ID, from fears of surveillance to claims of Western-driven agendas. These fears are not a reason to reject this technology. They signal a need for deeper engagement, so that we can overcome the barriers preventing Africans from enjoying the benefits of digital ID. What Africa needs now is an informed discourse about how digital ID can empower citizens, protect human rights, and drive inclusive growth, underpinned by robust safeguards.
Some have argued that digital ID is a modern form of digital colonialism, shaped by external agendas and rooted in data extraction. But that misrepresents both the intent and the architecture of many of the systems being adopted across Africa. Open-source, safe-by-design platforms like MOSIP are designed with privacy, data minimization, and citizen control at their core. These platforms empower countries to adopt digital ID systems tailored to national laws and values and to store data under their control, forgoing dependence on private vendors or foreign entities.
What is more, it’s increasingly clear that African governments, technologists, and civil society are at the forefront of efforts to improve governance around digital ID systems, not passive actors. Initiatives like ID4Africa demonstrate that countries across the continent are shaping digital ID systems on their own terms, grounded in local priorities, values, and debate. At the ID4Africa 2025 AGM, both state and civil society actors from countries across Africa converged in Addis Ababa to have a constructive discourse on digital ID and how we can prioritize its use while accelerating impact. Representatives from over 48 African countries were present at this year’s event, showcasing the importance of this conversation to both Governments and the enabling ecosystem.
Ultimately, every new technology offers a chance to explore new frontiers that can accelerate economic growth and societal progress. With South Africa’s G20 presidency this year, the continent has an unprecedented opportunity to not only scale adoption of digital ID and DPI but to shape the global governance around them. The real question is not whether we should build digital ID systems. Rather, it’s about how we build them and who they serve. It is therefore critical to increase efforts to inform Africans about digital ID, highlighting both the benefits and the challenges that need to be responsibly addressed. If we don’t encourage transparent and honest debate, we risk alienating people from transformative technology to the detriment of Africa’s future.
This article was written by Robert Karanja, Senior Director – Africa, Co-Develop
