Across Africa, a quiet transformation is underway. After years of designing digital policies and strategies, many countries are now preparing to turn those plans into real systems that people and businesses can use every day. A new report from research…
If the 2010s were the decade of the “mobile app,” the 2020s are the decade of the “digital rail.” In the information and governance sector, Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) has moved from a technical concept to the very foundation of…
For decades, the primary hurdle in African healthcare was the “data silo.” A patient in a rural clinic in Machakos would have their history recorded on a physical card that rarely followed them to a referral hospital in Nairobi. If…
Africa’s digital transformation is accelerating—and at its core is a quiet but powerful engine: Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). Across the continent, governments, private sector innovators, and regional institutions are building shared digital systems that make identity verification, payments, and public…
Since the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) kicked off trading in January 2021—following its launch in 2019—the continent has pursued its bold vision of a unified market. Aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the goal is a seamless…
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is rapidly emerging as one of the most powerful tools for strengthening healthcare systems across Africa. At its core, DPI refers to foundational digital systems—such as digital identity, interoperable data platforms, and digital payment rails—that are…
In the rolling highlands of Lesotho’s Mafeteng District, life in villages like that of the Matokele family still follows a familiar rhythm. Children herd sheep along dusty paths, families draw water from communal wells, and evenings end around crackling fires…
By Lissa Ngenda Mwenda, Vimbainashe Tsododo (IHM) & Garikai Nhongo (Co-Develop) Isaac Makonko has witnessed 90 years of evolving challenges in rural Zambia. A lifetime spent in Kafulafuta, a small village of just over 5,000 people, has given Isaac a front-row seat…
Authors: Ben Bertelsen, Manager, Digital, AI & Innovation Hub, UNDP. Dwayne Carruthers, Digital Transformation Knowledge & Strategy Manager, UNDP Andisa Ndlovu, DPI Safeguards, UNDP. This year’s second consecutive Global Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Summit in Cape Town, South Africa centred…
A new study is calling on East Africa’s media to step up its coverage of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), warning that current reporting remains shallow, event-driven, and dominated by government voices—leaving out essential perspectives on governance, inclusion, and citizens’ digital…