Mastercard deepens Africa strategy with Smile ID investment and partnership
- Mastercard announced a minority investment in Smile ID on September 25, 2025.
- The partnership aims to accelerate the rollout of secure digital identity solutions across Africa.
- Smile ID has doubled its processed identity checks to 200 million in less than a year.
The partnership between Mastercard and Smile ID represents a significant step towards improving digital identity verification in Africa, which is crucial for the continent's economic growth. However, the success of this initiative will depend on the effective integration of services and the ability to address the existing fragmentation in identity systems. Ongoing collaboration with local stakeholders will be essential to ensure that the solutions are accessible and meet the needs of diverse populations.
