With an emphasis on inclusive financial integrity, Cenfri provides technical assistance, tools and skills building to policymakers, regulators, supervisors and compliance heads looking to apply risk-based and outcomes accountable approaches to money laundering, terrorism financing and proliferation-financing risk strategies. Combining our understanding of relevant risks, familiarity with the FATF guidelines, knowledge of identity and identity-proofing capabilities and leveraging our competency in risk data analytics, we support financial service value chains undertake assessments from national level to the financial product level, thereby enabling the adoption of appropriate customer due diligence practices. Cenfri is committed to assisting countries to move off the grey list responsibly, shaping national risk assessment processes with empirical data and working with remittance services’ compliance managers to ensure that low-income households are not disproportionately affected in receiving low-value remittances. We are interested in mitigating the longer-term impact of illicit financial flows using digital technology (regtech, suptech and AI) to evaluate and monitor illicit flows and enhance inclusive financial integrity. We have worked with BankServ Africa, FSD Africa, GIZ, IFAD’s Financing Facility for Remittances, UNCDF and AFI on a range of financial integrity and identity projects. |
Financial inclusion has evolved from a grass-root microfinance movement in the 1980s to a mainstream item on the development agenda. Its increasing prominence is attested, amongst others, by the formation of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), the recognition of financial inclusion in the Sustainable Development Goals and
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 with risks. Given some of the shortcomings of digital financial services in reaching financially excluded populations, central banks in developing and emerging markets have increasingly
This body of work aimed to map the landscape of microinsurance in Mozambique with the objective to identify the barriers to and opportunities for insurance market development and to make regulatory and market-related recommendations for future development. This document provides summaries of the regulatory and insurance industry analyses, the take-up
This study, undertaken by Saul Kerzner, was commissioned by Cenfri, on behalf of the FinMark Trust, to sketch a picture of the remittances landscape in the Johannesburg-Zimbabwe corridor. The aim was to build an understanding of the dynamics of remittances sent to Zimbabwe and the drivers of change and to
During the last ten years, South Africa has achieved remarkable progress in the area of financial inclusion for lower-income households in specifically the banking and, to a lesser degree, insurance markets. Limited progress has been made in expanding medical schemes (government’s chosen vehicle for private health financing) to more South
As economic hub of the region, South Africa attracts a large number of migrant workers from neighbouring countries, many of them without the necessary documentation and work permits. Regardless of their status, migrants send money home to families that are often dependent on these remittances for survival. Though the majority
In 2009, the South African government amended the Regulation of Interception of Communications Act (RICA) by introducing identification and verification measures for mobile phone users. The country’s experience of introducing similar requirements under the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA) showed that identity verification could be a problematic requirement for low-income
South Africa has one of the most innovative insurance markets in the world. It is also considered one of the leading microinsurance jurisdictions. Commercial insurers have reached significant penetration in the low-income market, albeit largely through funeral and credit life insurance. This 2010 study provides an update on innovative microinsurance
This study was commissioned by FinMark Trust to investigate the cell captive landscape in South Africa and the potential that cell captives may have in promoting insurance inclusion, through extending the reach of the microinsurance market. Relevance of the study Access to insurance is an important strategy for reducing poverty.
This Cenfri research project conducted for the Finmark Trust Zambia provides an overview of the remittances landscape in Zambia considering the trends, opportunities and challenges. The purpose of this document is to provide a basis for debate amongst industry, regulators and other interested parties and identify areas for future research.
This South African National Treasury discussion paper on microinsurance sets out the proposed new approach to the regulation of microinsurance. The proposed approach seeks to balance the need for consumer protection with financial inclusion and reduce the impact of the cost of regulation on the market. It also proposes changes to the way
