Benin, Ghana, and Rwanda have linked their national ID systems to a common data hub, verifying identities across borders. This represents the initial technical phase of a Smart Africa pilot for cross-border digital ID.
The alliance of African governments and private-sector partners announced on October 20, 2026, in Kigali, Rwanda, that they had completed phase 1 of the pilot. The test used synthetic data in a controlled environment, not real citizens’ records.
The project relies on two key components. The Smart Africa Trust Alliance (SATA) provides the framework for trust, governance, and cooperation between countries. The Smart Africa Data Exchange (SADX) enables national systems to exchange and verify information.
According to Lacina Koné, Director General and CEO of Smart Africa, the approach is federated. Each country maintains its own identity database and control over its data, with no centralization. “Interoperability does not require centralisation, and integration does not mean surrendering sovereignty,” Koné said.
The initial use case focuses on verifying travelers. For example, a traveler’s identity is checked against their home country’s official records at an automated airport e-gate. The system could later be used for businesses to prove legal registration in another country, professionals to have qualifications recognized abroad, or travelers to verify vaccination records.
This initiative aligns with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and its goal of a single digital market. It also supports the African Union’s interoperability framework for digital ID.
Phase 2 will prepare a controlled operational pilot for cross-border identity verification. Smart Africa noted that this phase depends on national approvals, security assessments, and operational readiness, without providing a specific date. Results will be shared with the signatories of the SATA Declaration, who will be invited to consider joining later phases.
The SATA Declaration was signed by 19 countries representing over 335 million people: Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar, Rwanda, Senegal, South Sudan, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The pilot is supported by national identification and ICT agencies, as well as partners including the African Development Bank, the European Union, and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). Ascend Digital Solutions, responsible for the technical foundation of SADX, expressed anticipation for “the next phases of functional testing and wider rollout.”
