Mastercard and the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) have joined forces to launch the Mobilizing Access to the Digital Economy (MADE) Alliance: Africa. This ambitious initiative aims to expand digital access to essential services for 100 million individuals and businesses across Africa over the next decade.
Focus on Agriculture and Women’s Empowerment
The alliance will prioritize supporting the agricultural sector and women in the initial stages. A pilot program launching this year will target three million farmers in Kenya, Tanzania, and Nigeria. In collaboration with local banks, the program will provide these farmers with digital identities and access to high-quality seeds and agricultural inputs. The alliance plans to expand its reach to Uganda, Ethiopia, Ghana, and other African nations in the future.
Quotes from Key Players:
- Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach: “Mastercard’s leadership of the MADE Alliance: Africa aims to bridge the digital divide for 100 million people. We are committed to supporting Africa’s growth and opportunity by building upon existing digital infrastructure investments across 45 countries.”
- African Development Bank Group President Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina: “The Alliance’s focus on digitalization, particularly through Mastercard’s Community Pass platform, holds immense potential to revolutionize agricultural practices and empower smallholder farmers. We are confident this initiative will contribute significantly to building sustainable food systems across Africa.”
The AfDB will contribute $300 million to support alliance programs. These funds will be directed towards digital infrastructure development and incentivizing actors within the digital ecosystem to improve accessibility.
Mastercard will focus on registering 15 million users across Africa onto its Community Pass platform within five years. This platform offers interoperable digital infrastructure designed to facilitate participation from a broad range of ecosystem partners. Launched in 2020, Community Pass aims to connect underserved communities to governments, NGOs, and the private sector for access to critical services.
The MADE Alliance: Africa leverages the complementary strengths of various partners across key regions to promote sustainable digital access. The collaborative effort will encompass connectivity, skills development, employment opportunities, and digital access to financial and other essential services.
Over six organizations have pledged their participation in the MADE Alliance: Africa, including Equity Bank, Microsoft, Heifer International, Unconnected.org, and Syngenta Foundation. The AfDB and Mastercard will co-chair the initiative in its initial stages.
The alliance’s efforts align with the U.S. Digital Transformation with Africa Initiative (DTA) and the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa (DTS).
This announcement took place during the U.S.-Africa Business Forum hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
