Now reading: MSMEs, Ecosystems & Economic Opportunity

MSMEs, Ecosystems & Economic Opportunity

Improved economic opportunity and more resilient livelihoods are key to sustainable development in emerging markets. Interventions designed to support micro, small and medium-sized businesses (MSMEs), startup ecosystems and more established value-chains need to be effective in unlocking innovation and employment if they are to contribute to economic growth. Cenfri undertakes several areas of related work including:

Digital economy diagnostics
Support for fintech innovation and research on the platform economy
Digital transformation of MSMEs (including innovations in logistics and digital tools for tourism businesses)
MSME finance – payments, credit, investment and resilience (rethinking insurance to meet MSME needs and better manage the risks they face)
MSME segmentation
Technical assistance to the private sector
Scenarios linked to the future of work and food security
MSMEs, Ecosystems & Economic Opportunity

Bridging the Gap: Unpacking segmentation approaches and the MSE landscape in Kenya, Uganda and India

Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) are crucial drivers of economic growth in emerging markets, yet there is a persistent financing gap that restricts their access to essential capital. This financing challenge affects their ability to scale, manage cash flow, and build resilience against economic shocks, stifling both growth and sustainability. One

10 October, 2024
Egyptian market

Holistic resilience solutions for Egyptian MSMEs

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 employment, growth, and economic welfare. In Egypt, MSMEs have been estimated to account for over 90% of active enterprises in Egypt (3.7 million) and represent

11 August, 2022
Cenfri Accra Ghana insurance for growth
MSMEs, Ecosystems & Economic Opportunity

The role of insurance for development

This research explores the role of insurance in sustainable development and inclusive growth. DFID partnered with the World Bank, FSDAfrica and Cenfri to conduct a series of diagnostics in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda to understand how insurance market development can contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth. The diagnostics explore

2 October, 2019
DataHack4FI
Digital Transformation & Data

ZPOS: The potential of merchant data in improving credit access

DataHack4FI country winner discovering the prospect of using financial management and accounting systems to generate credit scores Almost half the micro-, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Zambia – comprising approximately 80% [1] of Zambia’s private-sector businesses – perceive the lack of access to credit as a significant hurdle to their

27 February, 2019
African man walking and talking on mobile phone
Digital Transformation & Data

Using technology to build loyalty among insurance customers

Mary is the owner of a small business in Blantyre, Malawi, and the main breadwinner for her family. To support her family in the event that something happens to her, she has a funeral policy that she contributes to monthly in cash at the local insurance branch. The process is

6 February, 2018
Financial Inclusion

Beyond the numbers: Tailoring insurance cover for MSMEs

Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are the lifeblood of most economies globally. They are recognised as one of the primary engines for growth and employment, making up at least 90% of businesses and more than 50% of employment worldwide. Policy-makers and donors are increasingly pushing MSME development, and global

24 January, 2018
ustomer due diligence and know-your-customer for Covid19 recovery
Digital Transformation & Data

Smart business intelligence: MYAccounts case study

Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) play a key role in economic development, but they face challenges in accessing finance. In Uganda alone (as in most other sub-Saharan African countries), MSMEs account for approximately 90% of private-sector production, over 80% of manufactured output and 18% of GDP contribution (National Small Business Survey of Uganda, 2015; Ministry of Trade,

4 December, 2017
Financial Inclusion

Diving into the data

Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are recognised globally as a major engine of growth and employment creation. Access to finance is their most commonly cited barrier to growth. The IFC estimates that there are between 200 and 245 million formal and informal MSMEs in developing countries that do not

10 May, 2017
remittance
Financial Inclusion

Zimbabwe-Johannesburg remittance corridor

Zimbabwe is heavily reliant on remittance flows from South Africa and particularly Johannesburg. As many Zimbabweans are undocumented, they cannot access formal channels for money transfers. This 2009 study was commissioned to sketch a picture of the remittances landscape in the Johannesburg-Zimbabwe corridor. The aim was to build an understanding

28 July, 2009
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