João Lourenço advances Angola’s digital transformation with new legal framework for electronic trust

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Nairóbi — Angola has taken another step towards modernising the state with the approval of Legislative Authorisation Law No. 12/26 of October 2, which empowers President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço to legislate on electronic signatures, digital certification and Angola’s Public Key Infrastructure (ICP-AO).

The measure places digital trust at the centre of Angola’s administrative reform, establishing the legal foundations for electronic signatures and documents to acquire legal validity, effectiveness and evidentiary value. It also seeks to establish a national digital certification system and define the responsibilities of institutions responsible for ensuring the authenticity and security of electronic transactions.

For João Lourenço, the scope of the authorisation goes beyond replacing paper with digital documents.

The legislation provides for the organisation of Angola’s Public Key Infrastructure, including a Accreditation Authority and a Root Certification Authority, as well as mechanisms for the accreditation, supervision, auditing, issuance, suspension and revocation of digital certificates.

The new framework also covers security, personal-data protection, risk management, incident response, business continuity, interoperability and the recognition of foreign digital certificates. The objective is to establish the legal and technical foundations for more secure electronic interactions between citizens, businesses and public and private institutions.

The economic impact, however, will depend on implementation.

A functioning digital-trust infrastructure could reduce physical visits, paper-based documentation and administrative processing times, while making public administration more efficient and predictable. For businesses, the potential gains include lower transaction costs and greater legal certainty in digital operations.

The risk is that the new legal architecture could move faster than institutions’ technological capacity to implement it. Interoperability, cybersecurity, technical capacity and user confidence will be critical to turning the legislation into functioning services.

The National Assembly granted the legislative authorisation for 90 days. The law was promulgated by João Lourenço on September 7, 2026, and published in the Diário da República on October 2. Regime JurÃ_dico da Assinatura…

For João Lourenço, the challenge now shifts from legislation to execution: turning the new legal architecture into an effective digital-trust infrastructure capable of reducing bureaucracy and permanently reshaping the relationship between the state, citizens and the economy.