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Digital Transformation & Data

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.

#LiveStream: 10th Consultative Forum
Digital Transformation & Data

Network analysis to identify and segment farmers

Exploring how transactional-data-driven network analysis can allow financial service providers increase the value they provide to customers   Traditional banks serve a diverse set of customers that may include entities such as schools, churches, agricultural cooperatives, small enterprises, SACCOs, farmers, households and individuals (to name a few). Each of these customer segments engage in

Read More »
13 April, 2018
consumers and their financial lives.
Digital Transformation & Data

Aggregation of data for consumer empowerment

We spoke to Billy Owino, CEO of TransUnion Kenya, about the organisation’s strategy of analysing multiple sources of data to better understand consumers and their financial lives.  Tell us about TransUnion’s transition from a credit information bureau to a risk information service and its role as an aggregator of data? Globally,

Read More »
23 March, 2018
Woman from Ghana with cellphone
Consumer Outcomes

A woman’s financial life: Does traditional data get it?

Whereas financial inclusion has seen a steady increase over the past few years, this positive trend has not necessarily taken women along. A gender gap in financial access and usage persists, and has not decreased over the years. Our efforts at understanding and closing the gender gap are hampered by

Read More »
8 March, 2018
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

Read More »
6 February, 2018
Regulating for Innovation webinar
Digital Transformation & Data

Regulating for innovation: How to encourage responsible market innovation

For regulators, the dual implications of innovation make it a critically important but challenging topic to address. Regulators with a mandate to encourage market development and sectoral growth are obliged to encourage innovative providers and products that help to drive this market development and enhance consumer value. However, regulators are

Read More »
5 January, 2018
Data sharing and data privacy
Digital Transformation & Data

Data privacy in Africa: Regulation and reality

Ridwaan Boda and Era Gunning of ENSafrica answer questions about data privacy, data sharing and what related regulations mean for financial service providers in Africa.  Do you think it is likely that the commencement of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union (EU) will: Result in any African countries

Read More »
18 December, 2017
Digital Transformation & Data

Data privacy in Africa: Regulation and reality

Ridwaan Boda and Era Gunning of ENSafrica answer questions about data privacy, data sharing and what related regulations mean for financial service providers in Africa.  Do you think it is likely that the commencement of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union (EU) will: Result in any African countries

Read More »
18 December, 2017
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,

Read More »
4 December, 2017
Digital Transformation & Data

Digitising the existing value chain presents new fintech opportunities

Johan Bosini, Quona Capital Venture Partner (Cape Town) shares his excitement about fintech developments and the associated data revolution in Africa. Which sources of data and analytics methods hold the most promise in extending financial services to the underserved in Africa?  I think there are two broad opportunities – one

Read More »
1 December, 2017
#LiveStream: 10th Consultative Forum
Digital Transformation & Data

Network analysis to identify and segment farmers

Exploring how transactional-data-driven network analysis can allow financial service providers increase the value they provide to customers   Traditional banks serve a diverse set of customers that may include entities such as schools, churches, agricultural cooperatives, small enterprises, SACCOs, farmers, households and individuals (to name a few). Each of these customer segments engage in

13 April, 2018
consumers and their financial lives.
Digital Transformation & Data

Aggregation of data for consumer empowerment

We spoke to Billy Owino, CEO of TransUnion Kenya, about the organisation’s strategy of analysing multiple sources of data to better understand consumers and their financial lives.  Tell us about TransUnion’s transition from a credit information bureau to a risk information service and its role as an aggregator of data? Globally,

23 March, 2018
Data in FSP decision-making: Findings from six African Countries
Digital Transformation & Data

Data in financial service provider (FSP) decision-making: Findings from six countries

Do FSPs in Africa use data to drive their decisions?  While several global surveys have been conducted to determine the extent to which business executives are using data and analytics to drive decision-making (or the success they have in doing so), typically, hardly any executives from African businesses are surveyed. 

16 March, 2018
Woman from Ghana with cellphone
Consumer Outcomes

A woman’s financial life: Does traditional data get it?

Whereas financial inclusion has seen a steady increase over the past few years, this positive trend has not necessarily taken women along. A gender gap in financial access and usage persists, and has not decreased over the years. Our efforts at understanding and closing the gender gap are hampered by

8 March, 2018
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
Regulating for Innovation webinar
Digital Transformation & Data

Regulating for innovation: How to encourage responsible market innovation

For regulators, the dual implications of innovation make it a critically important but challenging topic to address. Regulators with a mandate to encourage market development and sectoral growth are obliged to encourage innovative providers and products that help to drive this market development and enhance consumer value. However, regulators are

5 January, 2018
Data sharing and data privacy
Digital Transformation & Data

Data privacy in Africa: Regulation and reality

Ridwaan Boda and Era Gunning of ENSafrica answer questions about data privacy, data sharing and what related regulations mean for financial service providers in Africa.  Do you think it is likely that the commencement of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union (EU) will: Result in any African countries

18 December, 2017
Digital Transformation & Data

Data privacy in Africa: Regulation and reality

Ridwaan Boda and Era Gunning of ENSafrica answer questions about data privacy, data sharing and what related regulations mean for financial service providers in Africa.  Do you think it is likely that the commencement of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union (EU) will: Result in any African countries

18 December, 2017
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
Digital Transformation & Data

Digitising the existing value chain presents new fintech opportunities

Johan Bosini, Quona Capital Venture Partner (Cape Town) shares his excitement about fintech developments and the associated data revolution in Africa. Which sources of data and analytics methods hold the most promise in extending financial services to the underserved in Africa?  I think there are two broad opportunities – one

1 December, 2017