Who pays? A phased approach to financing Digital Public Infrastructure
15 October 2025
As global leaders prepare to convene in Cape Town for the Global Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Summit, a pressing question dominates the agenda: how do we finance the foundational digital public infrastructures that are increasingly critical to modernising economies? Gavin Krugel, Partner at Genesis-Analytics, provides a timely synthesis and rigorous framework to answer this complex challenge in Financing Digital Public Infrastructure: Models and Planning Considerations.
The analysis contends that financing DPI is a strategic exercise in aligning public policy, operational capabilities, and robust governance.
The paper re-surfaces a policy framework designed to balance three core elements: the public value objective, operational feasibility and political support. It delves into critical planning considerations that are often overlooked, notably the ongoing operational costs of DPI, which can far exceed initial capital expenditure. The analysis also distinguishes between the challenges of greenfield projects and integrating with existing brownfield systems, drawing on examples from India, South Africa, Eswatini and Malawi.
You can read the full paper here: Financing DPI Models and Planning Considerations
The document provides an assessment of the financing landscape. It identifies the distinct roles of public, private, and philanthropic capital. Public financing is deemed essential for high-risk, foundational components, while the private sector is well-placed to drive innovation in applications built upon the core infrastructure. Philanthropic capital, meanwhile, is shown to be a key catalyst for early-stage seeding and standard-setting.
The paper proposes a structured, phased approach for national governments. This begins with a foundational assessment of the DPI’s purpose, followed by a contextual analysis of a country’s economic and digital maturity, culminating in a financing strategy tailored to each stage of the DPI lifecycle.
With the global DPI community gathering in Cape Town, this research offers a vital toolkit for policymakers moving from ambition to implementation.
