Maja is a Research Analyst at Cenfri and has been part of the team since June 2023. Her work has focused on a wide range of topics such as payments and financial integrity, inclusive insurance, disaster risk financing, and digital transformation. Notable examples include mapping instant retail payment systems and reviewing eKYC regulation across Africa; exploring MSME resilience solutions through value chain analysis in Southeast Asia; examining how South African municipalities fund and manage disaster risk; and investigating key drivers of broadband costs under the Rwanda Economy Digitalisation programme.
Originally from Sweden, Maja holds an MSc in Economics with a profile in International Development from Nova School of Business and Economics in Portugal and a BSc in Economics from Uppsala University in Sweden. She has a keen interest in financial inclusion topics, which reflects in her academic background. For her Bachelor’s degree thesis, she conducted field research in Jordan on the impact of digital financial services on women’s empowerment. Her Master’s thesis focused on the role of remittances in facilitating risk-sharing between migrants in South Africa and their origin country.
Before joining Cenfri, Maja worked in the banking sector in AML/CFT monitoring and customer service alongside her studies, and interned with the Trade and Economics section at the Embassy of Sweden in Pretoria. Outside work, she enjoys all things outdoors, long chatty runs with friends, cold morning swims, and extra strong coffee.
