SmartBridge™ is an African-born digital framework that modernises Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) by validating lived experience and indigenous knowledge alongside formal qualifications. The system integrates a cloud LMS with a Synthetic-Intelligence layer for competency mapping and bias detection, a graph-based Knowledge Repository, and a Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) layer for tamper-evident audit trails. Participants earn outcome-based digital badges embedded with evidence and assessor validation, each badge linking to a citable knowledge artefact in the repository. To accelerate delivery and avoid “reinventing the wheel,” the SmartBridge™ MVP reuses and adapts proven components from established ed-tech/AI ecosystems (e.g., LMS, agentic AI, graph visualisation), adding accessibility (UDL/WCAG), community validation, and governance. This paper outlines the motivation, architecture, MVP roadmap, and policy alignment, extending the legacy of Prof Linda Cooper’s work on RPL by operationalising epistemic justice through practical, auditable digital infrastructure ready for national pilots and research evaluation.