In nature, a single nudge can set an entire chain into motion. One domino falls, and suddenly a hundred follow. Adoption in digital transformation often works the same way—especially when ecosystems are at play.
The story of Africa’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) journey is not just about technology; it’s about momentum in public service delivery. It began with Mozambique in August 2023, where Health Campaign Management (HCM)—was co-created by eGov along with PNLP, MISAU, CHAI and partners. It was locally named SALAMA in Mozambique. HCM was built on DIGIT – the open-source shared infrastructure by eGov Foundation.
SALAMA was a proof of possibility. That success didn’t remain within its borders—it became a signal.
Governments, partners, and institutions across Africa could now see DPI in action. Families accessed health campaigns faster and more reliably, showing that digital public infrastructure could make a difference at scale.
From Spark to Sequence
Liberia came next. Then Nigeria. Soon Senegal, Burundi, Ethiopia were in motion. By mid-2025, Togo and Congo joined, with a continental-scale agenda on the horizon. In just 20 months, 10 countries tipped into the adoption curve.
For citizens, this translated into tangible improvements: mothers accessing malaria bed nets without long delays, children getting vaccinated through Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention and going beyond malaria. The dominos of adoption meant dominos of impact for citizens and stakeholders—each one making accessing services faster, safer, and with transparency.
Why the Dominos Keep Falling
The difference lies in the ecosystem model. Technology on its own doesn’t spread. An open source platform along with a playbook for local capacity building, trusted partnerships, and a DPI mindset creates a rhythm of adoption.
Partners like UNDP, CRS, Clinton Health Access Initiative, Malaria Consortium, BAO Systems, and Bluesquare act as connectors in this chain—building bridges, amplifying learnings, and ensuring each success lowers the barrier for the next.
Power of DPI + Local Capacity Building + Strong Partnerships
When ecosystems are at work, adoption accelerates because the cost of uncertainty drops. Countries no longer ask, “Will this work?” They ask, “How do we adapt this to our reality?” The domino effect is not just imitation—it’s translation, contextualization, and ownership, all in service of citizens.
Beyond Health, Toward Governance
What started in health campaigns is now moving into urban governance and public finance. New partners global and local are joining in. From Manelix Systems in Djibouti to Tekdi in India – new sectors are being unlocked. Complaints Resolution, Property Tax and Public Finance are next in line to fall like dominos—extending the ripple effect of DPI into every facet of public service delivery.
The Lesson of the Domino Effect
The domino effect teaches us this: change at scale is rarely linear. It is exponential when fueled by ecosystems. Each country, each partnership and each experience becomes a force multiplier. The first domino matters, but the ecosystem ensures the rest keep falling—until citizens everywhere can experience faster, fairer, and more inclusive public services.
