The Zambian government, in partnership with Altron Security, has launched the country’s National Public Key Infrastructure (NPKI), establishing a sovereign cryptographic foundation designed to support digital identity, electronic signatures and secure online government services.
Altron Security, an identity security company within South Africa’s JSE-listed Altron Group, was appointed to support the development of the national infrastructure.
A national PKI effectively serves as an official digital trust framework, issuing and verifying digital certificates used to authenticate individuals, organisations and online services. Zambia’s new infrastructure is intended to establish a national root of trust while reducing reliance on foreign identity and authentication providers.
Digital certificates issued through the NPKI are expected to carry legal validity under Zambia’s Electronic Communications and Transactions legislation, supporting the wider adoption of trusted digital transactions and electronic signatures.
The infrastructure is also expected to support Zambia’s participation in regional digital identity initiatives. As an active member of the Africa PKI Forum, the country aims to align its national digital trust framework with emerging cross-border identity and authentication standards.
Security of the national root of trust has been a key consideration in the infrastructure’s deployment. According to the joint statement, the master cryptographic keys were generated under independently audited, tightly controlled conditions in a purpose-built secure facility. The core key material is held offline and distributed among multiple custodians, ensuring that no single individual or organisation has unilateral control over Zambia’s digital trust infrastructure.
Collins Mbulo, Director-General of the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority, said the NPKI would strengthen confidence in digital interactions between citizens, businesses and government.
He emphasised that the initiative extends beyond the technology itself, describing it as a foundation for creating an environment where citizens, businesses and government can transact and access services with greater confidence in the digital environment.
Percy Chinyama, National Coordinator of the Smart Zambia Institute, stressed that sustaining the infrastructure would be critical to delivering its intended benefits.
“Launching the NPKI is only the beginning. Its value will depend on whether government can sustain the infrastructure, develop the necessary skills, provide adequate resources, reduce unnecessary delays and ensure that public institutions are prepared to adopt and use the technology effectively,” he said.
Andrew Whittaker, Managing Director of Altron Security, said the company was proud to have been entrusted by the Zambian government to develop the country’s national root of trust.
“Altron are immensely proud to have been the partner that the Zambian Government entrusted to build their national root of trust. We congratulate them on this major milestone and look forward to the digital public infrastructure that this critical capability will enable,” he said.
The launch represents a significant step in Zambia’s digital transformation agenda, providing foundational trust infrastructure that can support secure digital services, identity verification and electronic transactions across the public and private sectors.
