Estonia is exporting e-governance experiences and technologies to Africa. For over a decade, Cybernetica, one of the chief architects behind Estonia’s digital state, has been helping African nations implemented their technology. Digital Nation has been advising governments and organizations across the continent for more than three years. At Africa Business Forum 2025, both will share their insights on how digital governance can drive innovation and sustainable growth across Africa.
In late May, entrepreneurs and state representatives from Estonia and various African countries will gather at the Africa Business Forum in Tallinn to strengthen business ties and establish contacts. “Today’s conference will focus, among other things, on the impact and opportunities of digitalisation in Africa. We already have some pretty good examples in this area,” Estonian Ambassador to Kenya and South Africa Daniel Schaer said.
According to him, Africa is the fastest growing continent and there is no shortage of potential for doing business. “Estonia is not a major investor, instead, we offer unique technologies and experiences on how to use them. Our value proposition is that we know how to do things more efficiently, and there is a market for it,” Schaer said.
“We stay close to the governments we’ve partnered with, helping them push further: whether that is by launching impactful digital services, strengthening governance, or identifying high-value AI use cases that deliver real results.”
Helena Lepp, Business Development Director at Digital Nation
He emphasised that in addition to Cybernetica and Digital Nation, there are also a number of Estonian companies operating in Africa, such as Bolt, Erply, Pipedrive, and Wise. “Our IT company Nortal is also very successful in the digital state domain, digitalising Botswana’s tax system and moving Nigeria’s national accounting from paper to a modern information system,” Schaer added.
Leadership first, budget second
„We’ve supported governments in Côte d’Ivoire and Namibia in shaping digital strategies and actionable roadmaps, and we are now working with the government of Angola to develop a practical interoperability roadmap that drives real change,” Helena Lepp, Business Development Director at Digital Nation, said.
They have advised on the governance of digital public services and platforms, as well as provided guidance in the creation of associated policies, processes and digital service standards in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Egypt. Digital Nation is also active on a regional level, most notably as a key partner in the development of the governance model for the Smart Africa Trust Alliance to support transforming Africa into a single digital market by 2030.
GOOD TO KNOW
Africa Business Forum 2025
On May 27, 2025 at the Radisson Collection Hotel in Tallinn, Estonia will take place African Business Forum 2025. This year’s forum will focus on the impact of digitalization on doing business in Africa, with a special emphasis on green and smart solutions, and innovative new partnerships.
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According to Digital Nation’s experiences not just in Africa, but globally, a common challenge is the belief that digital transformation is a tech project. „It’s not. In our experience, it’s 20% technology and 80% transformation – and that transformation hinges on leadership, ownership, and mindset,” Lepp said.
She noted that digital transformation is not a one-off project – it is a leadership journey. “That is why we stay close to the governments we’ve partnered with, helping them push further: whether that is by launching impactful digital services, strengthening governance, or identifying high-value AI use cases that deliver real results,” Lepp said.

Last year the African Business Forum brought together 300 entrepreneurs and innovators from Estonia and the African nations. In the picture: (right) Joel Karubiu, Trade Estonia’s Export Adviser in Kenya, (middle) Daniel Schaer and entrepreneurs. Photo: Martin Pedaja
Buzz or brilliance? Choosing value over hype
Every country’s path is different. What works in Estonia or Europe cannot simply be copied and pasted elsewhere. „That’s why we start by and focus on listening. We work closely with local stakeholders to understand the context, challenges, and ambitions on the ground, then co-create solutions that adapt global best practices to fit local realities,” Lepp said, emphasising that real impact comes from partnership, not prescription.
“Estonia is not a major investor, instead, we offer unique technologies and experiences on how to use them. Our value proposition is that we know how to do things more efficiently, and there is a market for it.”
Daniel Schaer, Estonian Ambassador to Kenya and South Africa
The tech landscape moves fast and while the AI hype grows, many still struggle to translate it into real-world value. „That’s where our AI Accelerator offering comes in – a proven, hands-on format that helps governments identify high-impact use cases and turn them into action. We work with governments who are keen to change the(ir) digital game and there are numerous exemplary players like that across Africa,” Lepp said.
From Namibia to Benin – Cybernetica takes digital countries to the next leve
Africa has been the focus market for Cybernetica for over 10 years, and they agree that there are many progressive countries that, like Estonia, want to reform themselves with digital tools.
“Our first co-operation in Africa was with Namibia, which has long been an important development co-operation partner for Estonia. We have implemented our own data exchange technology, UXP, which is an extension of the X-Road created for Estonia tailored specifically for export markets,” Taavi Toomere, Head of Data Exchange Products at Cybernetica, said, adding that this enables state institutions to exchange information securely among themselves and thereby create and provide more convenient and effective services for people.
One of Cybernetica’s biggest success stories has been the Digital Benin project, which developed a citizen portal in addition to UXP data exchange technology. These basic technologies of the digital state have been warmly received by both officials and citizens, and today the number of state services provided online stands at as many as a couple of hundred.
Local partners create a bridge to local culture
According to Toomere, the greatest challenges include both geographical and cultural distance. “In most markets, we operate in cooperation with local partners. They help us navigate a foreign language and cultural space and help us get through local bureaucracy,” Cybernetica’s representative said.
In Morocco and Tunisia, he has also encountered an interesting linguistic aspect. “For historical reasons, French is widely used by locals, both in business and in the public sector. However, this does not mean that a person who speaks French can freely participate in all conversations. In fact, the locals love to mix French and the local Arabic dialect, so the sentence can start in French but end in Arabic instead,” Toomere explained.
Another local peculiarity he highlighted is mobile payments in Kenya. “The M-PESA mobile payment, which can be used to pay any street vendor, taxi drivers, basically everyone, is ubiquitous,” Toomere said.
Their other current projects with great potential include a cooperation project with the Tunisian central government, and several different follow-up projects with existing clients are ongoing or under consideration. “It is good to see that the neighbouring countries of our clients have also shown great interest in our technologies and expertise, having noticed how the successful introduction of the digital state has brought efficiency gains in other sectors and the economy in general,” Toomere said.
Both Cybernetica and Digital Nation will share their experiences at the Africa Business Forum in Tallinn on 27 May. The aim is to promote cooperation between Estonian and African companies and organisations, creating new business opportunities and promoting innovation and sustainable growth in Africa.
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