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 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 and regulation that may not effectively accommodate them are important contributing factors. The cell captive model has emerged as a way for entrepreneurs or organisations with an insurance business
WIRED: Social media CEOs hearing can’t defend their business model When Clive Humby (while advising UK retailer Tesco on the use of data in their loyalty programme), invented the now overused mantra that “data is the new oil” he most likely did not anticipate that the analogy would extend to the negative consequences of the oil economy
Leveraging digital labour platforms to provide jobs for graduates in Nigeria Nigeria faces a huge challenge of unemployment, with 27% of the population out of work. Their graduates are one of the hardest-hit groups: In 2019, 36.3% of graduates lacked formal employment in Nigeria, which is higher than the overall
A supervisory toolkit to help regulators navigate their role and guide decisions in regulating for innovation. The need to create an environment that enables innovation is an increasingly important priority for financial regulators across the developing world. Regulatory mandates have expanded and financial regulators are increasingly legally responsible for the conduct of business, consumer outcomes and proactive market
The global COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised the importance of connectedness – and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) across Africa are no exception. As MSMEs begin a path to recovery in 2021, digital platforms can be a way to get them reconnected. The impact of COVID-19 on MSMEs in Africa
Africa Fintech Network (AFN), in partnership with global data analytics firm findexable and independent African think tank Cenfri, are launching the first pan-African fintech census and digital map to track fintech activity across the whole of Africa. The Africa Fintech Radar initiative will drive visibility and awareness of Africa’s fintech innovation ecosystems before a
Behavioural science studies how people behave and tries to answer why they behave in the way they do. This is done by looking at how people process information and how context affects our decisions. Being aware of their customers’ decision-making processes can help financial services providers develop products that really
The past decade has seen the emergence of digital platforms, which connect buyers and sellers of goods and services and allow them to seamlessly transact with one another online. The platform economy is expected to grow to USD405 billion by 2030, more than double from USD204 billion in 2018, with
Expanded smartphone access in Africa underpins evolving consumer behaviour. Smartphone uptake in Africa is growing rapidly. GSMA reported that smartphone adoption in sub-Saharan Africa reached 45% in 2018 – nearly half a billion people – and is projected to reach 66% by 2025. To put that further into perspective, 623
