ID4Africa vendors see Africa leapfrogging legacy digital identity systems
The annual ID4Africa AGM is a major world event in identity – a must-attend for many biometrics providers working on solutions for national identity, digital ID, border and immigration control, healthcare, and more. It’s a vibrant marketplace of voices in the identity sector, and as African countries look to take a leadership position for digital identity on the world stage, the positive energy is palpable.
Recorded live on the conference floor in Abidjan, part two of the Biometric Update Podcast’s coverage of the 2026 ID4Africa AGM features BU managing editor Chris Burt in conversation with representatives from Cognitec, Thales, Iris ID and Regula. The discussions showcase both the diversity of ideas powering the African identity boom and the common ground providers share.
One common theme is how Africa has built from scratch, unencumbered by the legacy systems embedded in many western economies. Another is the importance of partnering with governments. The diversity of African nations underpins the whole conversation, as regional and local initiatives take different approaches.
While the technologies and regional priorities differ, the conversations reveal growing confidence that African identity programs are becoming central to the future direction of digital identity infrastructure globally.
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Runtime: 00:30:30
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Article Topics
biometrics | Cognitec | digital identity | ID4Africa | ID4Africa 2026 | Iris ID | Regula | Thales Digital Identity and Security
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Mohammad Murad’s comments reminded me of something I observed in South Africa in 1997 (when I worked for Printrak). While visiting the country, I read a story of a large city that had no landline phone infrastructure. The city literally leapfrogged the standard technology and went straight to mobile phone communications, removing the need to install landlines.
I wasn’t at ID4Africa myself, but based on what I observed from afar, African firms and governments will perform a lot of “leapfrogging” over the next few years.