As in many other developing countries, Ugandan MSMEs play a fundamental role in the economy – accounting for a substantial share of GDP, driving innovation,
In implementing the Rwanda Economy Digitalisation Programme, Cenfri has worked with multiple stakeholders and partners to acquire datasets to inform policy that will improve the
Remittances are a valuable lifeline for Africans, with over USD 100 billion flowing into the continent annually from a migrant workforce of 40 million individuals
KYC and CDD requirements can inhibit access to remittances for low-income, rural households and women. These are our findings from the Remittance Access Initiative where
Ghana’s tourism industry presents an exciting landscape for growth, offering significant potential for youth employment and entrepreneurship. However, an effective digital presence is a prerequisite
Interoperable payment systems improve the efficiency and effectiveness of retail and cross-border payments. Cenfri worked with BankservAfrica on a white paper that assesses the state
If properly catalogued, classified and shared, public sector data can be leveraged to increase access to services, make service delivery more efficient and inform policymaking.
Innovation opportunities for enhanced remittance access As part of our Remittance Access Ininitative (RAI), Cenfri conducted a regulatory assessment of seven countries (Ghana, Kenya, Morocco,
Central banks have cited several reasons for considering or piloting central bank digital currencies (CBDC). These include a desire to enhance financial stability and monetary
The Remittance Access Initiative (RAI) is a programme set up through a partnership between IFAD’s Financing Facility for Remittances (FFR) and Cenfri. Cenfri is working
Open Finance can be defined as the sharing of consumer data between financial service providers (FSPs) and/or third-party providers on the basis of consumer consent.
Recognising the importance of digital payments as a contributor to financial inclusion, central banks in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) are increasingly looking to address the remaining
Gakere is a 49-year-old mechanic from Nairobi, and like 77% of adults in Kenya, he does not have National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) or private
Real-time retail payments that enable consumers to send and receive cross-border and domestic transactions digitally are on the rise globally. The increasing proliferation of
Consumers face several frustrations with the potential to affect their experience of digital financial services. These include system glitches, inappropriate design, fraud, cybercrime, data breaches,
To support regulatory authorities in sub-Saharan Africa in promoting inclusive insurance market development, there is a need to strike a balance between innovation and the
The authors of this report would like to acknowledge the support of the International Dialogue on Consumer Protection in Context of the SDGs, coordinated by
The retail and trade (merchant) sector is one of the priority sectors for the Rwanda Economy Digitalisation Programme. The sector and its upstream activities generate
In Uganda, refugees and asylum seekers struggle to cash out their remittances due to challenging and time-consuming identity verification processes. This is one observation from
Capacity-development is a vital part of the Rwanda Economy Digitalisation programme and beyond the hosting of training courses, the aim is to cultivate a hub
Despite the best efforts of sub-Saharan African (SSA) insurers, most African citizens and small businesses do not yet have insurance. Our recent research in eight
Learnings from the Remittance Access Initiative (RAI) in partnership with IFAD’s Financing Facility for Remittances Cenfri, in partnership with IFAD’s Financing Facility for Remittances recently
Agriculture plays a major role in the Rwandan economy: close to 75% of the population’s livelihood depends on farming. However, the majority of these farmers
Will CBDC solve your financial inclusion woes or further exclude the vulnerable? Central bank-backed digital currency (CBDC) may alleviate financial exclusion barriers, but it comes
Kigali, Monday 29th August 2022 – The Smart Africa Alliance welcomes Cenfri as an international non-profit member to advance Smart Africa’s digital transformation initiatives. With
The value of non-legally binding guidance Regulation is the regulator’s strongest and most fundamental tool; but it can take years to be published. In Zambia,
Cenfri has deepened its work on CBDC amid growing interest from central banks Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) has emerged as a key consideration for
Nothing illustrates the incredible power of data-driven decision-making more than the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Lamenting the disparities in genomic sequencing data from high versus lower-middle
Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Egypt Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) play a fundamental role in the Egyptian economy – they drive more
One of the reasons so much emphasis is placed on digitalisation is that people hope digital technology will solve common, but hereto unresolved, challenges. While
Opportunities await insurers and tech providers who are willing to work together Insurance is a key tool that provides businesses with protection and resilience against
About the Insurance Innovation Dialogue To support insurance regulatory authorities in sub-Saharan Africa strike a balance between innovation and risk, FSD Africa set up the
Insurers can partner with digital platforms, lenders and insurance aggregators to offer better products that matter for MSMEs. Despite being heavily underfinanced, micro, small and
The role of enabling identity regulation in Ghana Recent data shows that remittances continue to play a critical role in Ghana. According to Ghana’s 2020
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are considered engines of economic growth and development, especially in developing economies, yet they continue to be disproportionately rejected from
The Rwanda Economy Digitalisation Programme aims to support the Government of Rwanda in its vision of building an inclusive digital economy using data-driven policymaking. To
Early insights from IFAD’s Financing Facility for Remittances and Cenfri Our work with IFAD to improve remittance access across seven African countries has shown that
A changing climate affects everyone, but it’s the world’s poorest and most vulnerable, predominantly women and girls, who bear the brunt of environmental, economic and
A demand-side perspective of the risk management and resilience needs of remittance senders from South Africa to Ghana, Malawi and Zimbabwe Remittance-linked insurance products (RLIPs)
On-demand transport services and insurtech Whether as a customer or a business, digital platforms that connect people and services are ubiquitous today. The adoption of technology in food
How Cenfri makes systemic change happen In helping to build a world of opportunity and greater equality, where people and societies thrive, and where the
Education is of fundamental importance to Rwanda’s economy; and the country has high policy priorities in providing access across the country. Primary and secondary education
Agriculture is the largest sector in the Rwandan economy, with 75% of the adult population generating their livelihoods from the sector. Its contribution to GDP
In the past decade, the government of Rwanda has made significant investments in the tourism sector, positioning it as a vital driver of economic development
Rwanda must be cashless by 2024 – that’s the bold target set in the National Payment System Strategy 2018-2024. This policy has strong empirical backing,
In today’s tech-driven world, data has become the compass guiding industries toward innovation and growth. Rwanda’s tourism sector stands poised for this transformation and is
Almost half of Sub-Saharan Africa’s trade every year – USD 362 billion of merchandise trade – settles in US dollars, despite the US accounting for
In recent years, Rwanda has embarked on a transformative journey towards digitalisation to fuel economic growth and innovation. The Rwanda Economy Digitalisation Programme, implemented by
Data-driven decision-making is becoming increasingly important in Rwanda. Very large datasets are generated in real-time across the economy: each time you transact using mobile money
Cenfri is supporting staff from public institutions in Rwanda with tailored training to boost their capabilities in data analysis and is training policymakers in interpreting
Abamenyereye iby’ ikoranabuhanga cyane bazakubwira ko hari amagambo menshi usanga akoreshwa muri urwo rwego, udapfa gusanga mu kiboneza-mvugo cy’ikinyarwanda. Urugero ni nk’imbaraga za “nucléaire” “data”,
Key insights on opportunities to better serve Egyptian MSMES Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of developing economies playing significant roles in
Fiacre Mushimire, Cenfri’s Policy Lead, answered some questions about the breadth of Cenfri’s work in Rwanda. How and when did Cenfri start work in Rwanda?
Importance of insurance amplified by COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic constitutes one of the largest recent shocks to the African continent and has amplified the
How to seed connections with customers through SMS and DMs The last two decades have seen extraordinary growth in digital connectivity, particularly due to the
Data is a powerful enabler of innovation: It helps financial service providers (FSPs) to better understand and serve consumers, as well as improve how they
Limited digitalisation of the insurance sector in Africa constrains uptake. Less than 10% of adults across nine sub-Saharan African countries have private insurance. The low uptake
The GIZ Compendium on how to improve insurance for MSMEs in a number of countries. The work compiled in this compendium includes knowledge-building products, training
A scoping study of five African countries Access to basic services –education, energy, health – is an important socio-economic development goal and directly relevant to
Unlocking the economic force of remittances for reaching low-income and rural customers with IFAD’s Financing Facility for Remittances under the Remittance Access and Innovation (RAI)
In our previous article, Can digital platforms transform first mile food logistics in Africa?, we discussed the importance of the agricultural sector to food security, income and employment in Africa as
New and proposed financial regulations, such as South Africa’s Pension Funds Amendment Bill, often make headline news because of their wide-reaching and often controversial impact.
In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) make vital contributions to growth, employment and livelihoods, representing more than 90% of businesses and
Historically, low-income consumers in emerging economies often perceive banking services as too expensive. As a result, these consumers opt out of using formal financial services,
Can digital platforms transform first mile food logistics in Africa? The agricultural sector is responsible for food security and is a major contributor to livelihoods across the globe, but particularly
How proof of address fell In our financial integrity work, we found that in the wake of global efforts to curb money laundering and combat the
Britam and M-TIBA receive Swiss Capacity Building Facility (SCBF) funding to scale up mobile-based health insurance Britam and M-TIBA have received funding from Zurich based
A case study on Turaco and Fenix International in Uganda Generally, health insurance has a very low uptake across Africa. According to Finscope, 53% of Ugandan adults report
In 2021, migrants’ remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) reached US$540 billion, only 1.6 per cent below the US$548 billion seen in 2019,
How can data and data-driven technologies impact financial inclusion efforts in Africa? As the region with the most unbanked and underserved citizens, combined with a
Considering the changing role of financial regulators and responses to innovation Innovation creates opportunities, enhances efficiencies, increases competition, drives scale, and improves the reach and
Working in programme monitoring and evaluation provides an excellent vantage point to help with organisational learning. You collect monitoring data to see how implementation is going, assess to what
Here at Cenfri, impact guides everything we do. As an economic impact agency, we aim to solve problems to build digital and financial inclusion in
Flooding in urban areas across Africa is on the rise. The continent needs to implement risk-management techniques to ensure its cities are resilient to climate
The Mastercard Foundation has set an objective to enable 30 million young Africans, especially women, to secure employment that they see as dignified and fulfilling
Recommendations to support digital start-ups Cenfri supported Digital Financial in producing a technical guide on the creation of a fund to support a digital start-up
The UNSGSA Financial Health Working Group (FHWG) was convened by HM Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance
In 2020, the Africa Fintech Network (AFN), in partnership with findexable and Cenfri, launched the Africa Fintech Radar project. This ongoing initiative strives to
An impact snapshot In 2016, Cenfri and FSD Africa launched a five-year partnership to address barriers and identify opportunities for financial sectors across sub-Saharan Africa
Cenfri and Cornerstone partnered with the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLIEF) to boost economic potential for African businesses by bridging the micro, small and medium enterprises
The New Nexus Initiative, hosted by Cenfri and On Think Tanks and support by GIZ, brought together experts, practitioners, academics, and other stakeholders from across
Digital innovation in financial services is happening apace, and regulators are not always able to pre-empt or keep up. Traditionally, financial services are highly regulated.
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is the intergovernmental standard-setting body and watchdog for anti-money laundering, combating the financing of terrorism and other illicit financial
Cenfri, with support from GIZ and in collaboration with On Think Tanks, is hosting a series of digital dialogues to explore issues at the intersection of digital governance,
Cenfri, with support from GIZ and in collaboration with On Think Tanks, is hosting a series of digital dialogues to explore issues at the intersection of digital governance,
Cenfri, with support from GIZ and in collaboration with On Think Tanks, is hosting a series of digital dialogues to explore issues at the intersection of digital governance, digital financial services (DFS) and the Sustainable Development
Cenfri, with support from GIZ and in collaboration with On Think Tanks, is hosting a series of digital dialogues to explore issues at the intersection of digital governance, digital financial services (DFS) and the Sustainable Development
The next paradigm shift for financial markets in the development world Last year I had the opportunity to interview an executive at one of Malawi’s
Most Ugandans face insurable risks, yet uptake of insurance remains very low at only 1.4%. Innovations in global insurance markets have illustrated how insurance can
Just a few years ago, there were strict rules about who was allowed to provide which services in what countries, with national governments controlling the
Digital identity is increasingly becoming the key enabler of digital inclusion across the globe. We conducted three country diagnostic studies to understand and assess the
What is the New Nexus Initiative? Cenfri, with support from GIZ and in collaboration with On Think Tanks, is hosting a series of digital dialogues to explore issues at the intersection
Kigali, Rwanda, 2 June 2021: Today, the Ministry of ICT and Innovation in Rwanda, Cenfri, and the Mastercard Foundation have signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding
In many African countries, the potential for inclusive insurance markets is significant, however, this potential has yet to be fully realised. High entry barriers for new innovative players
But in Africa, there is more at stake A key imperative identified by our deep-dive studies across four sub-Saharan African countries was that for the insurance sector to contribute to sustainable development, policymakers and
Why supervising risk, rather than rules, matters when developing insurance markets A series of recent deep-dive studies across Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and Rwanda have shown
A framework for enabling access to finance for MSMEs in Africa Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have been cited as one of the strongest drivers of economic
