Zambia’s digital transformation towards a secure, inclusive, and government wide digital identity system has become a standout story at the ID4Africa 2026 conference with Smart Zambia National Coordinator, Percy Chinyama, detailing the country’s progress before an international audience of policymakers, technologists, and development partners.
Speaking during a high level panel discussion on Digital IDs, Mr Chinyama explained that while Zambia has experimented with various identity interventions over the years, none achieved lasting success until the government adopted a coordinated ecosystem approach backed by the World Bank.
“The identity story in Zambia started a long time ago. It is clear that those interventions have never come to full fruition until recently, thanks to the World Bank, which has supported us with the needed resources,” he said.
Mr Chinyama stressed that a useful identity system cannot be built in silos as it requires an inclusive ecosystem that brings together all key stakeholders.
He revealed that the Zambian government has now unified its critical institutions under a common governance framework, including the Department of National Registration under the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security, the Ministry of Technology and Science, and the SMART Zambia Institute, to ensure a single, coherent digital direction.
“It is clear that for an identity system to be useful, we have to create an ecosystem. Those past interventions were progressive and valid in their time, but now we have to bring everybody together,” he added.
Mr Chinyama noted that the new governance structure eliminates duplication, enhances data sharing within legal boundaries, and builds public trust through transparency and privacy protection.
He further highlighted that Zambia’s digital identity infrastructure is designed not only for civil registration but also to enable seamless access to financial services, healthcare, social protection, and e government platforms.
The four day ID4Africa 2026 conference, running from 12th to 15th May 2026 in Abidjan, is being held under the theme: “Digital Identity: From DPI (Digital Public Infrastructure) to Digital Public Ecosystems.”
The event gathers movement members, government leaders, technical experts, and development partners from across the continent to share best practices and accelerate responsible digital identity implementation in Africa.
Zambia’s participation at ID4Africa 2026 shows its commitment to the digital public infrastructure agenda and positions the country as a model for integrated, inclusive, and sustainable digital identity systems in the region.
