Mastercard and the African Development Bank Group have launched the MADE Alliance: Africa, aiming to provide digital access to 100 million people and businesses across Africa within the next decade. Initially focusing on the agricultural sector and women, the initiative will start with a pilot program supporting three million farmers in Kenya, Tanzania, and Nigeria through digital identities and access to agricultural inputs.
The African Development Bank Group will invest $300 million in the program, while Mastercard plans to register 15 million users onto its Community Pass platform. This initiative aligns with the US Digital Transformation with Africa Initiative and the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa, involving various partners to enhance digital infrastructure and access.
Collaborations include agreements with the US Department of Commerce, educational exchanges through EdTech Africa, and efforts to provide smallholder farmers access to a digital marketplace and affordable credit for clean energy tools. The MADE Alliance represents a significant effort to foster digital inclusion and economic growth across Africa through public-private partnerships.
The Alliance brings together more than half a dozen organizations at launch, including Equity Bank, Microsoft, Heifer International, Unconnected.org, and Syngenta Foundation, with the African Development Bank Group and Mastercard serving as initial co-chairs.
Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach stated, “Mastercard’s work leading the new MADE Alliance: Africa aims to provide 100 million people greater digital access to critical services, supporting new growth and opportunity across Africa.”
African Development Bank Group president Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina added, “Joining the Mobilising Access to the Digital Economy Alliance: Africa will amplify and multiply the impact of the Bank’s investments to build sustainable, climate-smart food systems across the continent.”
By bringing together public and private sector leaders, the initiative aims to create accessible, affordable, and trusted technology and digital tools, enabling more people to join the digital economy.
