As leaders gathered in Cape Town on November 5, Co-Develop released new survey findings on digital public infrastructure across six African markets. The release coincided with the Global DPI Summit 2025, highlighting entrepreneurship, market connectivity, and jobs as headline themes.
An Ipsos online survey spanned Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda, with fieldwork from October 3 to 18, 2025. Findings suggest secure digital payments and identity systems could lower barriers to start and grow businesses.
Payments and ID drive intent
Payments ranked high across current and aspiring business owners. Forty‑two percent said accepting secure digital payments would encourage starting or expanding a business.
Thirty‑three percent pointed to digital identity verification of buyers and sellers as a motivator. For cross‑area trade, 55 percent cited payment systems, while 48 percent highlighted fraud protection through digital verification. The ability to buy and sell on social media also scored 55 percent.
Trust features shape adoption
Trust emerged as the hinge for adoption, with 82 percent willing to share data if they understand what is collected and why. Respondents prioritised fraud protection at 67 percent, control over personal data at 61 percent, and clear rules on use at 60 percent.
“Trust is the foundation on which everything else builds,” said CV Madhukar, chief executive of Co-Develop.
Co-Develop describes itself as a bridge‑builder to help countries adopt DPI that reflects African priorities and protects citizens. The survey used an urban online sample, with a weighted combined average across markets.
Policy targets and delivery risks
The findings align with the World Bank’s framing of DPI as shared, reusable systems that underpin markets and services.
“Access to DPI is far from universal,” the World Bank results brief notes, underscoring inclusion, security, and data protection as core design requirements.
Recent commentary from Brookings argues that digital tools can unlock gains for micro‑entrepreneurs when connectivity quality, affordability, and credit constraints improve. Delivery choices now hinge on standards‑based procurement, interoperability requirements, and governance that builds trust without locking public buyers into proprietary stacks.
With stakeholders gathered in Cape Town to translate dialogue into action, near‑term priorities include payment acceptance, basic verification, and fraud controls that scale. Execution will determine whether optimism converts into firm investment, wider trade, and jobs.