Africa’s next economic revolution may not come from its oil wells, gold mines, or farmlands but from trust, transparency, and technology.
A new survey by Co-Develop, released on the sidelines of the Global Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Summit 2025 in Cape Town, has revealed a groundbreaking trend. Across six African countries, citizens overwhelmingly believe that secure digital payment systems and verified digital identities could become the real catalysts for entrepreneurship, cross-border trade, and job creation.
The research, conducted by Ipsos across Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda, shows that the continent’s entrepreneurial spirit is alive and ready but needs digital rails to run on.
The survey found that 42% of respondents said they would start or expand a business if they had access to secure digital payments, while 33% said that digital identity verification of buyers and sellers would encourage them to take that leap.
That’s nearly half of Africa’s online population saying digital tools could turn their ideas into enterprises. And the message from the data is clear: when trust meets technology, business takes off.
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“Trust is the foundation on which everything else builds,” said CV Madhukar, CEO of Co-Develop.
“When 82% say they will share their data if they understand what is being shared and why, they’re setting the terms transparency, agency, and safeguards. The question isn’t whether to build digital systems, but how to build them as public infrastructure that works for everyone.”
According to Madhukar, the era of “digital quick fixes” is over. What Africa needs now, he said, is foundational public infrastructure digital systems that are safe, interoperable, and inclusive.
The Ipsos survey, one of the most comprehensive of its kind, paints a vivid picture of how DPI could reshape African economies:
42% would start or grow a business if they could receive secure digital payments.
33% say verified digital identities would inspire business confidence.
55% of entrepreneurs believe digital payment systems would help them trade outside their local area.
48% say stronger fraud protection would motivate them to expand their trading reach.
82% agree that digital platforms can help them find new or better jobs.
82% would willingly share their data if they understand its purpose and protection.
These figures don’t just reflect optimism, they reveal a shift in mindset. Africa’s digital economy is no longer about convenience; it’s about credibility, control, and connection.
The study found that entrepreneurs are eager to use digital systems to break traditional market barriers. More than half of respondents said digital payment systems would enable them to buy and sell beyond their immediate communities, while others highlighted the potential of social media commerce a space that 55% say already helps them reach new customers.
With proper DPI in place, Africa’s informal traders from Lagos’ Balogun Market to Nairobi’s Gikomba could plug directly into the global marketplace, safely and transparently.
“People are ready,” Madhukar added. “Now, we must prove we can deliver infrastructure that lives up to their trust.”
Beyond entrepreneurship, the survey highlights another powerful insight: digital systems could become Africa’s biggest employer.
A staggering 82% of respondents believe that digital services and platforms can help people like them find new or better jobs.
From digital artisans in Kampala to mobile vendors in Dar es Salaam, Africa’s workforce is shifting online and DPI could be the bridge connecting them to opportunity.
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While enthusiasm for digital transformation runs high, trust remains the bedrock. Respondents identified three key conditions that would make them comfortable sharing personal data:
Protection from fraud and scams (67%), Control over personal data (61%), Clear and transparent rules on how data is used (60%)
These are precisely the design features that DPI aims to institutionalize, turning trust into a public asset.
The Bigger Picture: Africa’s $180 Billion Digital Future
Analysts estimate that by 2030, Africa’s digital economy could add $180 billion to the continent’s GDP, equivalent to nearly 6% of total output. But realizing that potential depends on one thing: whether countries can build inclusive digital foundations that everyone can access and trust.
Nigeria’s ongoing identity and payment integration reforms, Kenya’s progress with digital IDs, and South Africa’s e-government rollout all point to growing momentum but the continent still faces infrastructure gaps, uneven regulation, and cybersecurity challenges.
Co-Develop believes that a unified DPI approach with interoperable systems that cut across borders could solve many of these challenges, opening new trade corridors and financial ecosystems.
The survey arrives as governments, development agencies, and private-sector players debate how to build the next phase of Africa’s digital transformation.
With the Global DPI Summit 2025 underway in Cape Town, the timing couldn’t be more symbolic: African nations are no longer asking whether to go digital, but how to do it right.
And for entrepreneurs like 28-year-old Nairobi-based fashion designer Faith Omondi, who sells her handmade pieces via Instagram, the promise of DPI is simple: “If I can receive payments safely from anywhere and verify my customers, I can scale beyond Kenya. That’s the dream.”
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The message from Cape Town is clear: Africa’s economic transformation won’t be driven by handouts or foreign aid, but by digital confidence.
If implemented with care and inclusivity, DPI could become the continent’s most valuable invisible export a homegrown framework for trust that powers trade, innovation, and growth.
As Madhukar put it:“People are ready. Now it’s time for infrastructure that lives up to their trust.”
Esther Ososanya is an investigative journalist with Pinnacle Daily, reporting across health, business, environment, metro, Fct and crime. Known for her bold, empathetic storytelling, she uncovers hidden truths, challenges broken systems, and gives voice to overlooked Nigerians. Her work drives national conversations and demands accountability one powerful story at a time.
