How it works
eduID.africa operates across three interconnected layers (campus identity governance, national federation, and continental aggregation) connecting African researchers and students to global resources.
Three layers. One identity. Continent-scale access.
End-to-End Authentication Flow Diagram Slot
Slot for illustrated diagram showing student campus sign-on unlocking eduroam and global research resources across Africa.
BonafID: Campus identity governance
Most African HEIs lack a managed identity provider. BonafID is an open-source IAM system, co-created by WACREN, that gives each institution a production-ready identity provider. A unified, lifelong identity for every student and staff member, that works across institutions and countries.
fragmented credentials, no managed IdP, locked out of global resources
eduID.africa: Continental federation
The regional identity federation connecting African HEIs to each other and, via eduGAIN, to the global research and education network. NRENs can build sovereign national federations that connect upward, or institutions can participate directly via the catchall federation.
no path to global research access, fragmented national infrastructure
geteduroam: Certificate-based Wi-Fi
A regional service that uses a user's federated identity to automatically generate a Wi-Fi login certificate via a simple app. No manual configuration. Secure, RADIUS-over-TLS authenticated access across every connected campus in the region.
eduroam configuration complexity, legacy authentication protocols
From arrival to access
How a researcher at a connected institution experiences the system, from first login to Wi-Fi access at any partner campus.
Institution deploys BonafID
Campus identity governance is established with an open-source, production-ready IdP.
IdP registers with eduID.africa
The institution joins the continental federation mesh, establishing verified identity trust.
eduID.africa connects to eduGAIN
Continental peering links upward into global research networks and international resources.
User installs geteduroam app
Students and researchers install the lightweight configuration client on mobile or laptop.
Certificate generated automatically
Cryptographic client credentials provisioned via federated login without manual setup.
Seamless access everywhere
Instant, secure eduroam Wi-Fi authentication across connected campuses globally.
Where your country fits
Two paths to the continental federation, both valid, both connected upward to eduGAIN and the global R&E network.
Path A: National federation
NREN operates a sovereign national federation. Institutions in that country register with the NREN. The national federation peers with eduID.africa at the continental level.
Best for NRENs with institutional capacity and critical mass
Path B: Catchall federation
Institutions participate directly in the continental federation via BonafID. No NREN-level federation required. This is the on-ramp, not a permanent endpoint.
Best for NRENs not yet ready to operate national infrastructure