About
eduID.africa is the pan-African identity federation connecting the continent's research and education community to each other and to the world. Jointly governed by Africa's three regional research and education networks.
Academic & Research Photo Slot
Slot for photography of African researchers and faculty collaborating in a modern university library or laboratory.
Three networks. One framework.
eduID.africa is jointly governed by Africa's three regional research and education networks, each covering a distinct region of the continent.
Three Regional REN Operational Map Slot
Slot for continental map illustration showing the operational footprint of UbuntuNet Alliance, WACREN, and ASREN.
Two levels. One framework.
eduID.africa operates at two interconnected levels that together define what makes it structurally different from a single national federation.
Level 1: Continental framework
eduID.africa is the continental roof: a pan-African identity federation that connects to eduGAIN and gives African researchers, students, and staff access to digital services globally. It sets the standards, governs the trust framework, and represents Africa's R&E identity ecosystem internationally.
Continental Federation Architecture Diagram Slot
Slot for technical illustration mapping Global eduGAIN peering ↔ eduID.africa continental hub ↔ National NRENs ↔ Campus Identity Providers.
Level 2: National federation support
The primary delivery model is to help each NREN establish and operate its own national identity federation, country sovereignty over identity infrastructure, with eduID.africa as the continental aggregator above. This is the path of preference.
Level 2b: Catchall for those that cannot yet
For NRENs that lack institutional capacity, funding, or critical mass to run a national federation, eduID.africa operates a catchall. BonafID is the enabling platform: cloud-hosted, open-source federated IAM for any institution.
How we got here
eduID.africa established
Continental catch-all federation launched under the AfricaConnect programme, providing a first path to eduGAIN for African institutions.
AfricaConnect3: BonafID piloted
First BonafID pilots begin across the WACREN region. Campus identity governance model proven. Seven pilot institutions across five countries.
T&I Roadshow programme launched
Structured regional workshops begin driving HEI adoption across West, East, and Southern Africa. National federations begin forming in Kenya, South Africa, and Ghana.
AfricaConnect4: Production phase
BonafID 1.0 production release. Regional geteduroam deployed. 12 national federations operational. 380+ connected institutions across 35 countries.
Scale
Phase targets: 25 national federations, self-service onboarding, French and Arabic language content, LIBSENSE open science integration.
eduID.africa established
Continental catch-all federation launched under the AfricaConnect programme, providing a first path to eduGAIN for African institutions.
AfricaConnect3: BonafID piloted
First BonafID pilots begin across the WACREN region. Campus identity governance model proven. Seven pilot institutions across five countries.
T&I Roadshow programme launched
Structured regional workshops begin driving HEI adoption across West, East, and Southern Africa. National federations begin forming in Kenya, South Africa, and Ghana.
AfricaConnect4: Production phase
BonafID 1.0 production release. Regional geteduroam deployed. 12 national federations operational. 380+ connected institutions across 35 countries.
Scale
Phase targets: 25 national federations, self-service onboarding, French and Arabic language content, LIBSENSE open science integration.