Chinese identity solutions provider Emptech is reportedly lobbying to enter Mali’s tech market and win a contract to produce the country’s government-issued documents.
This comes at a time when Chinese technology companies appear to be expanding their presence in Africa’s fast-growing and lucrative identity sector.
Information from The Africa Report (first published by Jeune Afrique) shows how the company has been struggling to establish a presence in Mali over the past few months.
The information comes about a week after Malian leader Assimi Goita announced plans for the three member states of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) to introduce common biometric passports.
Three military-led countries – Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger – announced their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in January.
Kicy Ye, marketing director at Emptech, told Biometric Update that the company “has not yet been deeply involved in the Mali project mentioned. While we are constantly exploring opportunities, our primary goal is to provide innovative and reliable digital identity solutions that meet our clients’ needs, while always respecting the regulatory frameworks and development initiatives of each market we consider.”
“Building on our successful experience to date, we remain committed to providing high-quality, secure and comprehensive identity solutions across Africa,” Ye said. “We look forward to exploring opportunities in Mali.”
The new common passport announced by President Goita is part of an effort to consolidate the country’s departure from a regional coalition that imposed sanctions after the military coup.
It is not clear who will issue the common passports, but a source recently told Biometric Update that contract negotiations are well advanced.
Days before the new passport plans for AES countries were announced, Burkina Faso issued its own new-generation travel document without the ECOWAS logo or any reference to affinity with the now-departed regional bloc.
Emptec manufactures Burkina Faso’s passports, and the director of the country’s National Identity Agency, Arzouma Dauda Parfait-Louret, said the passports were designed with the latest generation technology in line with security standards for travel documents set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Emptech is a provider of biometric software and hardware to Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and also manufactures Malawi’s national identity cards.
In April, the country unveiled a “high performance” DoD DeskCard system delivered by Emptech for printing national ID cards as part of an upgrade process to enable the National Registration Authority to speed up the issuance of national ID cards.
As part of its expansion of its presence in Africa, the company announced on September 23 that it would hire a regional sales manager for East Africa.
In a LinkedIn post, the company said it needed a “dynamic, results-driven” candidate who is passionate about sales, has a deep understanding of the East African market and is motivated to drive impactful sales growth in that part of the continent.
At the 2024 ID4Arica conference in Cape Town, Emptech showcased some of its innovative identity solutions, and the company’s CEO, Sean Zheng, spoke in one session about how effective solutions like its company’s can address identity challenges in Africa.
Article Topics
Africa | Biometric passport | Biometrics | China | Digital ID | Emperor Technology | Identity card | Mali
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