Emptech seeks foothold in Mali amid China’s growing presence in African identity market

Chinese identity solutions provider Emptech is reportedly lobbying to implant itself in the Malian technology market and possibly win a contract to produce the country’s government-issued documents.

This comes at a time when technology companies from China are seen to be expanding their presence in Africa’s burgeoning and lucrative identity documents space.

Information by The Africa Report (first published by Jeune Afrique) describes how the company has been struggling for the past several months to stamp its presence in Mali.

This information emerged just about a week after the Malian leader, Assimi Goïta, announced plans by the three member-states of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) to introduce a common biometric passport.

These countries — Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, all headed by military leaders — announced their departure from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in January this year.

Emptech Marketing Director Kicy Ye told Biometric Update that the company “has not yet deeply engaged in the Mali’s project mentioned. While we are always open to exploring opportunities, our primary goal is to offer innovative and reliable digital identity solutions that meet the needs of our clients, always respecting the regulatory frameworks and development initiatives in each market we consider.

“Based on our successful experiences, we remain committed to delivering high-quality, secure, and inclusive identity solutions across Africa,” Ye says. “We are looking forward to exploring the opportunities in Mali.”

The new common passport announced by Goïta is part of the push to consolidate their exit from the regional bloc that imposed sanctions on them after military coups.

It is not clear who will produce the common passport but a source told Biometric Update recently that negotiations for the deal were far advanced.

Just days before the announcement of the new passport plan for AES countries, Burkina Faso launched its own new generation travel credential without the ECOWAS logo or any inscription suggesting affinity to the now-abandoned regional bloc.

Emptech is producer of the Burkina Faso passport which the Director General of the country’s National Identification Agency, Arzouma Daouda Parfait Louré, described as being designed with technology of the latest generation in line with security standards for travel documents prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Apart from being a provider of biometric software and hardware for Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Emptech is also involved in national ID card production in Malawi.

In April, the country unveiled a “high-performance” DoD DeskCard System delivered by Emptech for the printing of national ID cards as part of an upgrade process aimed at enabling the National Registration Bureau accelerate the issuance of national ID cards.

As part of its push to expand its Africa presence, the company announced today September 23 that it was hiring a regional sales manager for East Africa.

It said in a LinkedIn post that it needs a “dynamic and results-driven” person who is passionate about sales, boasts a deep understanding of the East African market and is eager to drive impactful sales growth in that part of the continent.

During the 2024 ID4Arica meeting in Cape Town, Emptech showcased some of its innovative identity solutions, with the company’s CEO Sean Zheng speaking in one session on how effective solutions like theirs can address identity challenges in Africa.

Article Topics

Africa  |  biometric passport  |  biometrics  |  China  |  digital identity  |  Emperor Technology  |  identity document  |  Mali