Building trust
through identity

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1. Origins: The $100 startup (1990)

Margins ID Group began in 1990 with a $100 investment and a clear vision. Founded by Moses Kwesi Baiden Jnr., then a 23-year-old law student at the University of Ghana, the company started in his father's garage at Ringway Estates, Accra. It was originally known as Margins Company Limited.

In the early 1990s, as Ghana transitioned from typewriters to personal computers, Margins provided essential document finishing solutions, laminators, binding systems, and office consumables to meet the needs of the digital era.

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2. The first pivot: From supplies to security (Mid-1990s)

While the company started with general office supplies, it quickly identified a critical gap in the market: the need for document security.

• The lamination era: Margins gained early dominance by supplying lamination machines and secure binding systems. This led to the incorporation of Pronto Print on Demand, blending document security with rapid delivery.
• Key clients: The company secured pivotal contracts with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), supplying specialized laminating film to secure examination certificates against forgery.
• Passport lamination: By 1997, Margins was handling the lamination of Ghanaian passports, marking its first major step into national-level identity security.

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3. Strategic expansion: The birth of Margins ID Group (1998)

Recognizing that the future lay in sophisticated identity solutions, with Africa's population expected to rise to over 1.4 billion people in 2020, the company underwent a major strategic restructuring.

• In 1998, Margins ID Group (previously Margins ID Systems Limited) was incorporated.
• This transition marked the shift from a print and document finishing company to an identity systems integrator and developer. The focus moved entirely to Identity, Security, and Data Solutions.
• The company began building international partnerships, notably with Danish investors and technology partners, facilitating the transfer of world-class technology and expertise to Ghana.

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4. Industrialization and infrastructure (2010s)

The 2000s defined Margins as an identity powerhouse. The group separated its operations into specialised subsidiaries: Intelligent Card Production Systems, Margins ID Systems Applications (MIDSA) Limited, Identity Management Systems and Identity Management Systems II.

• ICPS: In 2004, the group inaugurated a state-of-the-art production facility in Accra. ICPS became the largest certified secure card and document manufacturing plant in Sub-Saharan Africa, producing banking cards, national IDs, and security documents at central-bank-level security standards.
• MIDSA: Margins ID Systems Applications (MIDSA) Limited was incorporated as the technology development and integration arm, building digital ecosystems that securely connect people to their data.
• Ghana Card: Through IMS and IMS II, Margins became the prime contractor for Ghana's National Identification Authority, instrumental in delivering the Ghana Card — a biometric national ID serving as the backbone of the country's social and financial inclusion strategy.

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5. Present day: A global identity leader

Today, Margins Group stands as a multinational entity with operations and subsidiaries spanning Ghana, Europe, and North America.

Key achievements:

• Certifications: The group holds top-tier global certifications, including ISO 9001 (Quality), ISO 27001 (Information Security), and Intergraf (security printing).
• Structure: The group now comprises ICPS (manufacturing and secure printing), IMS (identity management and PPP execution), and MIDSA (software and technology development).
• Global reach: Beyond Ghana, the group has expanded its footprint, proving that world-class technology solutions can be built in Africa, by Africans, for the world.