Africa: A Journey of Innovation and Inclusivity - Building the Next Phase of Malawi's Digital Future

20 September 2024
United Nations Development Programme (New York)
By Mphatso Augustine Sambo, Tariq Malik and Rachel Chang

Malawi's digital transformation journey exemplifies how a small nation can effectively implement digital public infrastructure (DPI) through commitment and principled action.

In 2018, Malawi established its first multi-modal biometric citizen database, registering 9.1 million people. Today, over 12.5 million people aged 16 and above have obtained a digital legal ID, alongside 3 million birth registrations. This covers over 75 percent of the estimated population (99 percent of adults aged 16 and above).

This achievement garnered the World Summit on the Information Society Award 2021 for Malawi's national registration and identification system.

The digital ID system has since been integrated across various sectors, becoming instrumental in voting, payroll, issuing SIM cards, passports, immigration, tax administration and more. The system also unlocks numerous benefits and opportunities for sectoral applications in health, banking and agriculture.

Mphatso Augustine Sambo, National Registration Bureau Principal Secretary, Republic of Malawi and DPI Safeguards Working Group Member

Tariq Malik, Technical Advisor, Digital ID Governance and Safe DPI, UNDP

Rachel Chang, Inclusive Digital Transformation Specialist, UNDP

Read the original article on UNDP.

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