DRC's biometric passport manufactured by Semlex. © Reuters

In Focus | Africa
Newcomers flourishing on African market worry biometrics leaders

Published on 22.11.2021 at 06:00 GMT Reading time 6 minutes

Biometric identification is booming across African countries where governments have issued licences for identification document and electoral card production. For the moment this high-growth market is dominated by French, German and Belgian firms - Thales, Idemia, Veridos, Zetes and Semlex - but dynamic outsiders, such as Augentic, are beginning to nudge their way in.

The Africa sales representatives of the world's leading biometrics groups have been glued to developments in Cameroon for the past few weeks. The Yaoundé government plans to open bids for a major biometrics ID contract in the coming months. The General Delegation of National Security (GDNS) boss, police chief Martin Mbarga Nguelé, and his secretary

This article may be accessed by subscribers

In order to ensure high-quality and independent journalism, Africa Intelligence relies solely on subscriptions from its readers, with no advertising, no events and no consulting work.

Several offers are available depending on your particular reading needs

Consult our offers

Do you want a free trial before subscribing?

Create your free account

Discover our work by making use of the following possibilities: daily newsletters, a selection of free articles, keyword alerts.

Do you want a free trial before subscribing?

create a free account

Madagascar
Augentic and Thales compete for Prodigy contracts worth €24m

Several players in the new information technologies sector are in the running to win two contracts to develop digital governance and identity management in Madagascar.

Subscribers only Business 19.09.2024

Cameroon
INCM-Augentic poised to snatch ID card contract from Thales DIS

The German-Portuguese consortium INCM-Augentic looks set to start producing identity cards in Cameroon. ThalesDIS has held this contract since 1995, but Gaborone appears to have given the French firm the cold shoulder.

Subscribers only Infrastructure, Business, Diplomacy 05.04.2024

Nigeria
Interior minister makes fresh attempt to revive domestic passport production plans

Interior minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo wants to put an end to Nigeria's passport production difficulties by having them produced domestically. In late February, he met with representatives of France's Idemia in Abuja.

Subscribers only Business 06.03.2024

Ethiopia
Toppan Gravity Ethiopia searches for insurance to print passports

The new joint venture between Japanese printer Toppan and the Ethiopian administration is struggling to find insurance to build a local printing factory to produce passports. This is a large investment, made more complicated by political and economic tensions.

Subscribers only Business 20.02.2024

Ivory Coast
Ouattara plans tender call for lucrative passport market

The Ivorian president intends to launch a call for tenders to produce passports. SNEDAI, the company owned by the speaker of parliament Adama Bictogo, has held the contract since 2009.

Subscribers only Politics, Business 19.10.2023

Ivorian president Alassane Ouattara on 12 August 2023.

DRC
Kinshasa relaunches €400m mega contract for future ID cards

The DRC is back on the hunt for a company to fill a €400m future ID card contract.

Subscribers only Business 06.02.2023

DRC
Semlex angles for biometric passport contract

The Belgian company Semlex has activated its contacts, particularly at the foreign ministry, in the hope of winning the tender call ahead of nine other firms.

Subscribers only Business 15.07.2022

Cameroon
Israeli securocrat Eran Moas behind Augentic-IN Group's push for ID cards

To win the next contract for Cameroon's biometric identity cards, fledgling German company Augentic, in partnership with French firm IN Groupe, is relying on the intense lobbying of Israeli securocrat Eran Moas, an adviser to President Paul Biya's praetorian guard.

Subscribers only Defence, Business 15.03.2022

DRC
President's advisers and ministers at odds over biometric contracts

The presidency signed a framework agreement for the supply of biometric documents with the French parastatal company IN Groupe six months ago. But Congolese ministries continue to make deals for biometric documents with other service providers.

Subscribers only Business 01.12.2021

DRC
Semlex attempt to sign new passport contract thwarted

The Belgian group Semlex, which last June lost its monopoly on Congolese passport production, made a last-ditch attempt to return to the country but was rejected at the last moment by the presidency.

Subscribers only Business 03.11.2021

Ivory Coast
Ouattara reins in ruling RHDP party with new committee

Breaking news published on 23/09/21, 12.30 p.m - Increasingly strained relations between the director of the ruling RHDP party Adama Bictogo and Prime Minister Patrick Achi have led Alassane Ouattara to create a new committee, aimed at bringing the party into line.

Subscribers only Politics 23.09.2021

Tunisia
Darmanin due back in Tunis on 28 June to talk security, business and Libya

The French interior minister will have the chance to discuss security and migration at greater length when he attends a round table with his North African and Sahel counterparts on 28 and 29 June.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 18.06.2021

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin during his visit to Tunisia in November 2020.

Libya
In Paris, Abdelhamid Dabaiba talks hospitals, debt and reconstruction

The Libyan prime minister has asked the French group Denos to once again take over the running of the Benghazi Medical Center, but an old debt has complicated the plan. Airbus, Bolloré and Idemia are meanwhile trying to revive the contracts promised by previous Libyan governments.

Subscribers only Business 07.06.2021

Libyan Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dabaiba (right) and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on June 1, 2021.

DRC
New government tasked with ending Semlex era with Imprimerie Nationale

One of the tasks of the new Congolese government is to seal a deal with the state-owned French firm over the installation of a multi-document platform that can print the country's biometric passports and identity cards and may later produce biometric driving licences.

Subscribers only Business 13.04.2021

Libya
From Airbus to Vinci, French firms want in on rebuilding the economy

The French finance ministry has organised a big get-together of France's industry leaders to better coordinate their efforts on the Libyan market.

Subscribers only Business 19.02.2021

DRC
Thales makes beeline for Tshisekedi

Having met with the Congolese president in mid-February, Thales has been relying on former Gemalto execs in the DRC to pursue its lobbying in Kinshasa, where the company is hoping to secure contracts to oversee airport ID checks and to produce ID documents.

Subscribers only Business 25.06.2020

In Focus | Africa
Newcomers flourishing on African market worry biometrics leaders

This article may be accessed by subscribers

Do you want a free trial before subscribing?

Create your free account

create a free account

Related topics to this article

Read also

Madagascar
Augentic and Thales compete for Prodigy contracts worth €24m

Cameroon
INCM-Augentic poised to snatch ID card contract from Thales DIS

Nigeria
Interior minister makes fresh attempt to revive domestic passport production plans

Ethiopia
Toppan Gravity Ethiopia searches for insurance to print passports

Ivory Coast
Ouattara plans tender call for lucrative passport market

DRC
Kinshasa relaunches €400m mega contract for future ID cards

DRC
Semlex angles for biometric passport contract

Cameroon
Israeli securocrat Eran Moas behind Augentic-IN Group's push for ID cards

DRC
President's advisers and ministers at odds over biometric contracts

DRC
Semlex attempt to sign new passport contract thwarted

Ivory Coast
Ouattara reins in ruling RHDP party with new committee

Tunisia
Darmanin due back in Tunis on 28 June to talk security, business and Libya

Libya
In Paris, Abdelhamid Dabaiba talks hospitals, debt and reconstruction

DRC
New government tasked with ending Semlex era with Imprimerie Nationale

Libya
From Airbus to Vinci, French firms want in on rebuilding the economy

DRC
Thales makes beeline for Tshisekedi

DRC
Free-for-all over ID contracts

Morocco
Idemia wins driving licence and vehicle logbook contracts

Morocco
Idemia delivers new biometric ID cards to the DGSN

Central African Republic
Lebanese firm angles for contract to print ID cards

Belgium, Ivory Coast
Semlex assumes pole position in the biometric document market

Kenya
Smartmatic seeks to make hay out of Safran-Gemalto war

Spotlight | Kenya
Safran-Gemalto scuffle rattles electoral process

About Africa Intelligence

Subscription

Africa Intelligence on social media

Indigo Publications' websites

About Africa Intelligence

Subscription

Indigo Publications' websites

In Focus | Africa Newcomers flourishing on African market worry biometrics leaders

This article may be accessed by subscribers

Do you want a free trial before subscribing?

Create your free account

create a free account

Related topics to this article

Read also

Madagascar Augentic and Thales compete for Prodigy contracts worth €24m

Cameroon INCM-Augentic poised to snatch ID card contract from Thales DIS

Nigeria Interior minister makes fresh attempt to revive domestic passport production plans

Ethiopia Toppan Gravity Ethiopia searches for insurance to print passports

Ivory Coast Ouattara plans tender call for lucrative passport market

DRC Kinshasa relaunches €400m mega contract for future ID cards

DRC Semlex angles for biometric passport contract

Cameroon Israeli securocrat Eran Moas behind Augentic-IN Group's push for ID cards

DRC President's advisers and ministers at odds over biometric contracts

DRC Semlex attempt to sign new passport contract thwarted

Ivory Coast Ouattara reins in ruling RHDP party with new committee

Tunisia Darmanin due back in Tunis on 28 June to talk security, business and Libya

Libya In Paris, Abdelhamid Dabaiba talks hospitals, debt and reconstruction

DRC New government tasked with ending Semlex era with Imprimerie Nationale

Libya From Airbus to Vinci, French firms want in on rebuilding the economy

DRC Thales makes beeline for Tshisekedi

DRC Free-for-all over ID contracts

Morocco Idemia wins driving licence and vehicle logbook contracts

Morocco Idemia delivers new biometric ID cards to the DGSN

Central African Republic Lebanese firm angles for contract to print ID cards

Belgium, Ivory Coast Semlex assumes pole position in the biometric document market

Kenya Smartmatic seeks to make hay out of Safran-Gemalto war

Spotlight | Kenya Safran-Gemalto scuffle rattles electoral process

About Africa Intelligence

Subscription

Africa Intelligence on social media

Indigo Publications' websites

In Focus | Africa
Newcomers flourishing on African market worry biometrics leaders

Madagascar
Augentic and Thales compete for Prodigy contracts worth €24m

Cameroon
INCM-Augentic poised to snatch ID card contract from Thales DIS

Nigeria
Interior minister makes fresh attempt to revive domestic passport production plans

Ethiopia
Toppan Gravity Ethiopia searches for insurance to print passports

Ivory Coast
Ouattara plans tender call for lucrative passport market

DRC
Kinshasa relaunches €400m mega contract for future ID cards

DRC
Semlex angles for biometric passport contract

Cameroon
Israeli securocrat Eran Moas behind Augentic-IN Group's push for ID cards

DRC
President's advisers and ministers at odds over biometric contracts

DRC
Semlex attempt to sign new passport contract thwarted

Ivory Coast
Ouattara reins in ruling RHDP party with new committee

Tunisia
Darmanin due back in Tunis on 28 June to talk security, business and Libya

Libya
In Paris, Abdelhamid Dabaiba talks hospitals, debt and reconstruction

DRC
New government tasked with ending Semlex era with Imprimerie Nationale

Libya
From Airbus to Vinci, French firms want in on rebuilding the economy

DRC
Thales makes beeline for Tshisekedi

DRC
Free-for-all over ID contracts

Morocco
Idemia wins driving licence and vehicle logbook contracts

Morocco
Idemia delivers new biometric ID cards to the DGSN

Central African Republic
Lebanese firm angles for contract to print ID cards

Belgium, Ivory Coast
Semlex assumes pole position in the biometric document market

Kenya
Smartmatic seeks to make hay out of Safran-Gemalto war

Spotlight | Kenya
Safran-Gemalto scuffle rattles electoral process