Benin, Ghana and Rwanda have completed the first phase of a pilot linking their national digital identity systems to the Smart Africa Data Exchange, the Smart Africa secretariat announced on Tuesday, 20 October. The test established initial connectivity between the three countries and verified identities end to end using synthetic data.
This stage took place in a controlled environment. It does not mean that travellers can already cross a border with only their identity card, nor that real personal data is circulating between administrations. Smart Africa presents the result as a technical milestone ahead of an operational pilot.
The arrangement is based on a federated architecture. Each country retains control of its national register and responds to verification requests sent by authorised systems, without centralising the identity databases. The Smart Africa Trust Alliance provides the framework of trust and cooperation, while the Smart Africa Data Exchange handles the technical exchanges.
The first use case concerns identity verification when travelling between participating countries. Smart Africa then cites possible applications for proving business registration, having a diploma recognised, verifying a vaccination record or accessing cross-border financial services. These uses remain prospects, and no timetable for public opening has been announced.
The second phase is meant to prepare a controlled operational pilot, subject to national authorisations, security assessments and the readiness of administrations. Nineteen countries representing more than 335 million inhabitants have signed the SATA declaration. The pilot notably involves ASIN and ANIP in Benin, NIA and NITA in Ghana, and RISA and NIDA in Rwanda.