Cenfri has broad experience in fit-for-purpose payment systems in emerging markets, particularly in Africa. We work towards making retail payments a public good, assisting central banks, payments operators and payment system participants navigate domestic and cross-border payments modernisation in a manner that contributes to economic inclusion. We have worked extensively in instant/faster retail payment systems and in improving access to remittances for low-income households. Other projects range from diagnostic and landscaping studies, developing a national payments vision, to analysing payments legislation and regulation, and feasibility studies on central bank digital currency (CBDC). The convergence of payments and identity, as well as the focus on digitising the entire value chain rather than limited use cases, is central to our theory of change in digital payments. We have worked with IFAD’s Financing Facility for Remittances, the World Bank, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, AfricaNenda, FSD Africa, FSD Kenya, GIZ, UNCDF, BankservAfrica, Finmark Trust, the African Union and the Alliance for Financial Inclusion. |
Illicit financial flows (IFFs) represent some of the worst crimes and are a major contributor to corruption and development challenges across the developing world – particularly in Africa, where IFFs coincide with an absence of substantive economic inclusion. They have been estimated to be as large as USD80 billion annually
According to the World Bank Group’s Identification for Development, 1.1 billion people globally, including women, children and refugees, lack any form of officially recognised identification. This is a significant obstacle to financial inclusion and other development efforts, and the global community is increasingly focused on addressing the problem. For instance, the
The COVID-19 health crisis has turned into an economic crisis that is affecting a broad range of sectors. On 27 March, the IAIS released a statement saying that, while insurers “are exposed on both sides of their balance sheets”, they “are generally well capitalised with sophisticated risk management capabilities, which should help the sector as a whole to
The impact of COVID-19 on SSA insurance markets The COVID-19 health crisis is already turning into an economic crisis that will see a broad range of sectors affected. The IAIS and IMF deem the insurance sector to be relatively resilient as a result of the steps taken in response to
When we think of the African diaspora, we often imagine large networks across Europe or North America and the indelible contribution they play to national culture and society. But get in a taxi in Cape Town, South Africa, and there is a high chance your driver is from Malawi, Nigeria,
In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, insurance should be a primary mechanism for many people across the world to cope. Instead, the limited penetration of insurance products in developing countries has pushed insurance to the periphery. However, all is not lost. Insurers still have a key role to play
Challenges and opportunities for insurance providers and regulators across sub-Saharan Africa The COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying restrictions by many governments across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have forced insurance providers, insurance regulators and consumers to rethink how they interact and maintain operations through this period. Furthermore, the economic crisis resulting from the
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many African governments have implemented policy changes and lockdowns to prevent the further spread of the virus to vulnerable populations. In countries with high levels of mobile money penetration, governments have been able to leverage digital payments to avoid cash, which can act
This seven-part research series provides a detailed analysis of the market barriers to formal cross-border remittances in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The research series includes recommendations for different stakeholder groups on how to overcome the current pain points. In-depth remittances case studies from Uganda, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire and Ethiopia show how the
