The Upanzi Network and MicroSave Consulting (MSC) have launched a series of regional hackathon events for African university students to develop use cases of digital ID across the continent. Registration is now closed for the first regional hackathon, the Eastern Africa Digital ID Hackathon, and semi-finalists have been announced.
The hackathons will invite students to develop high-impact use cases for digital ID in various sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, access to public services, and others. The first event, focused on Eastern Africa, will explore use cases that foster regional integration and inclusion.
The hackathons will conclude at the ID4Africa 2025 General Meeting being held May 21-23, 2025 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Semi-finalists
Congratulations to the semi-finalists from the Eastern Africa Digital ID Hackathon!
| Team | Country | Sector |
|---|---|---|
| smart-traceable-agriculture | Rwanda | Agriculture |
| cross-border-health-id | Rwanda | Health |
| RockStars | Rwanda | Agriculture |
| SafeZone Solutions | Uganda | Property and asset management |
| healthid | Ethiopia | Health |
| ecard | Rwanda | Education |
The success and impact of a national digital ID program is dependent on its use cases.
Register to participate
University students from 11 East African countries, (Burundi, Djibouti, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda) can participate in the Eastern Africa Digital ID Hackathon by forming a team of 2-5 members. To foster inclusivity, teams must have at least one active female participant. Refugees and asylum-seekers enrolled in a university in these countries are also eligible to participate. Join our Discord channel to form a team.
For each regional competition, teams of 2-5 students will:
- Participate in a digital ID course: Students will participate in a virtual course to give them an understanding and appreciation of digital ID, its key features, and technical knowledge of various digital ID platforms. The course will be offered in a series of webinars in a self-paced format.
- Submit ideas: Students will submit high-potential use cases for digital ID in Africa. The top 5-6 teams will be selected and invited to develop and refine their ideas.
- Develop and refine use cases: Finalists will use a digital ID platform sandbox to develop their ideas for potential real-world applications. In this stage, students will work with mentors for guidance and support.
- Present use cases: Finalists will present their digital ID use cases at an East Africa regional conference in September/October 2024 virtually or in person
Sign up for the digital ID course
To teach participants about digital ID, share case studies, and explore how to develop use cases for digital ID, a webinar-style course will be held in four parts:
- July 25, 2024: Introduction to digital ID and case studies - 1
- July 26, 2024: Introduction to MOSIP and building on its API - 1
- August 1, 2024: Introduction to digital ID and case studies - 1
- August 2, 2024: Introduction to MOSIP and building on its API - 2
The webinars will be archived and available after each session.
Prizes
Grand prize
- A laptop for each member of the team
- Business pre-incubation program with CMU-Africa's Industry Innovation Lab
- Fully sponsored chance to attend the ID4Africa 2025 conference in Addis Ababa*
- A chance to engage in a paid internship wth the Upanzi Network at CMU-Africa*
Runners-up
- Business pre-incubation program with CMU-Africa's Industry Innovation Lab
- Sponsor swag and goodies
*Please note that some prizes require additional eligibility beond the control of the organizers and shall be handled at the discretion of the organizers.
Partners
