Cenfri contributes to building the fundamentals of welfare-enhancing digital economies. We prioritise digital transformation that is inclusive, sustainable, opportunity-creating and has appropriate safeguards. Digital transformation underpins much of our work and ranges from payments digitalisation to digital economy diagnostics, and digital skills assessments to direct digitalisation support. Cenfri also collaborates with policymakers and other public and private sector stakeholders in data-driven decision-making that is calibrated to the data available and is designed to strengthen the existing skills and data governance processes within these organisations. The Rwanda Economy Digitalisation Programme is our flagship evidence-informed policymaking and data-for-decisions intervention, but we have considerable experience in using evidence to generate insights and inform policymaking and business decision-making with a view to improved economic development outcomes. Our expertise in data, payments and digital identity enables us to contribute to current DPI (digital public infrastructure) conversations. |
The promise of open finance has led to a rapid proliferation in countries exploring implementation globally. However, it also comes with costs and risks—particularly as highly sensitive personal information is being made shareable. For African regulators and policymakers, open finance is an important emerging trend that requires a clear understanding
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 for competitiveness in the global tourism sector and in Ghana, digital technology adoption among tourism operators remains nascent. Data and digital technology increasingly enable tourism
In our previous article, we reflected on the different ways that stakeholders can ensure the Cape Town tech ecosystem produces valuable innovation that is as inclusive as possible. While writing that article, the world changed. With many countries now applying varying degrees of social distancing, and with South Africa having
“The idea is that tensions and challenges in the city region also point to opportunities for innovation and that effectively harnessing the city’s diversity could provide Cape Town’s innovation ecosystem with a competitive advantage and distinguishing identity.” Last year, Cape Town made the top 30 global tech cities in the
A synthesis report on what we’ve learned As we set out to understand what our financial inclusion measurement quest would be, it became apparent that it matters what you try to measure. Financial inclusion targets (percentage of adults with a bank account, say) remain valid, but they don’t tell you
Digital technologies are reshaping economic opportunities in Africa The spread of mobile phones has boosted access to digital financial services, information and networks. Increasing smartphone penetration has also created new income opportunities via digital platforms, social media and other apps where young Africans can connect, sell goods and services, or
Policymakers, development organisations and sometimes even private sector players, often rely on financial inclusion data uncovered through consumer or ‘demand-side’ surveys. However, insight2impact has been exploring the analysis of financial transaction data to generate new insights on people’s financial behaviour. We have partnered with government institutions and commercial banks to
How can young people in Africa develop the right skills for employment and income in the digital economy? Our landscaping study on digital skills in Africa explored this issue and trends on the future of work in Africa. The approach of this study focused on identifying recommendations to support digital
The slowdown in economic activity brought about by the spread of Covid-19 has already been felt in the Northern Hemisphere where restrictions to the movement of people and goods are having significant adverse impact on economic growth and individual livelihoods. But what will the impact be on the Global South
Egypt’s first hackathon focused on creating an inclusive and tech-enabled insurance sector The Insur;Hack (focusing specifically on insurtech) was a collaborative effort with Promotion of Access to Financial Services for Small and Medium Enterprises (PAFSMA), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Egypt, Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) of Egypt, Insurance Federation
The micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector is arguably the biggest employer in many economies, particularly in the developing world. It’s also often the biggest source of jobs for marginalised segments such as women, youth and poor communities. But exactly how big is the sector, and how many jobs
