Digital Africa Telecom (DAT), a major player in digital solutions in West Africa, announced on May 5, 2025 a strategic partnership with Idcanopy, a European platform specializing in compliance and identity verification. This alliance aims to provide innovative customer knowledge services (KYC) and business knowledge (KYB), fully in accordance with the recent regulations of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO).
In March 2025, the BCEAO published three key instructions to strengthen the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism (LBC/FT) in the West African Monetary Union (UMOA). Instruction No. 001-03-2025 establishes directives on the organization, internal control and compliance of financial institutions. Instruction n ° 003-03-2025, on the other hand, specifies the methods of identification, verification of the identity and knowledge of customers by financial institutions.
The joint Dat-Idcanopy solution is designed to meet these requirements, offering end-to-end compliance with the BCEAO guidelines. It incorporates real -time controls of the sanctions lists and politically exposed persons (PPE), transactions monitoring, as well as audit tracks to meet regulatory declaration obligations.
The platform uses the verification of documents by artificial intelligence, biometric authentication and the integration of electronic identifiers issued by governments. This approach makes it possible to automate the integration of customers and companies, thus reducing manual interventions, processing times and the risk of fraud. The addition of qualified electronic signatures (Qes), in accordance with EIDAS and ZERTES standards, strengthens security and operational efficiency, allowing institutions to conclude contracts and approve operations in a digital manner with full legal validity.
Designed specifically for the UEMOA region, the solution takes into account local regulatory priorities while facilitating cross -border transactions thanks to IDCANOPY KYC Universal instruments. Financial institutions thus benefit from a hybrid framework combining reasonable diligence specific to the region with international best practices, ensuring fluid compliance for national and international operations.
Simplice Anoh, DAT Director of DAT, stressed the importance of this partnership: “In an economy in full digitalization, confidence and compliance are not negotiable. By integrating the proven Idcanopy technology, we allow the financial institutions of West Africa to integrate customers more quickly while fully respecting the rigorous standards of the BCEAO. This partnership testifies to our commitment to promote financial inclusion without compromising security. »»
Bernhard Reiterer, founder and managing director of Idcanopy, added: “Our collaboration with DAT connects European excellence in terms of compliance with the single regulatory landscape in West Africa. Together, we establish a new reference for secure and scalable KYC solutions, which fight against financial crime and promote economic growth. »»
This strategic partnership between DAT and Idcanopy marks a significant step in the modernization of financial services in West Africa, aligning technological innovation and regulatory compliance to strengthen trust and financial inclusion in the region.
