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Financial Integrity & Identity

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 Integrity & Identity

The case for principles-based corporate governance

Corporate governance in financial services remains overly rules-based. In many markets, corporate governance frameworks prioritise tick-box compliance with prescribed requirements over the quality of oversight, decision-making, responsibility and accountability for performance and risk. As financial systems evolve in line with digital innovation, new business models and increasingly complex risk profiles,

Read More »
1 September, 2026
Consumer Outcomes

Looking back at 2025 and forward to 2026

For those in development, 2025 has been a bit of a wild ride and many organisations have been doing some introspection. The team at Cenfri has been thinking about how we can continue to pursue evidence-driven impact, financial independence and sustainability with an inspired, capable and purpose-driven team (our enduring

Read More »
11 December, 2025
Financial Integrity & Identity

20+ Years of AML-CFT evolution

Cenfri hosted a two-day seminar, AML | CFT 20: Reflections on 20+ years of AML-CFT implementation, on 22–23 July 2025 at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), Cape Town. The event was convened in collaboration with IFAD, La Trobe University and UWC and brought together regulators, policymakers, academics, financial

Read More »
27 October, 2025
Digital Transformation & Data

What is fair? Debating new ID verification fees in South Africa

The cost of digital ID verification may seem like a technical detail, but it lies at the heart of expanding access to financial services, supporting innovations such as open finance, and enabling a digital future. In June 2025, South Africa’s (SA’s) Department of Home Affairs (DHA) announced that it would

Read More »
21 October, 2025
Financial Integrity & Identity

20+ Years of AML-CFT evolution

Since the revision of the 40 Recommendations in 2003, African countries have continued to face significant challenges in aligning compliance obligations with local realities. Despite technical improvements, many jurisdictions still struggle to demonstrate effectiveness in addressing money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing risks, leaving them vulnerable to grey-listing –

Read More »
27 March, 2025
Consumer Outcomes

7 Lessons from 2024

Our work at Cenfri rarely follows the typical rhythms of the calendar year, yet, as 2024 draws to a close, we thought it would be good to reflect on what we’ve achieved. It’s been a busy few months: we’ve worked on around 50 projects and undertaken work-related travel to 19

Read More »
11 December, 2024
Financial Integrity & Identity

Unlocking growth: 3 key opportunities for remittance service providers

Many remittance service providers (RSPs) face a tough balancing act; they’re trying to innovate and grow, but it feels like they’re driving with the brakes on. On one side, they need to expand and lower costs to reach more customers, but on the other, strict compliance rules are slowing them

Read More »
26 September, 2024
Financial Integrity & Identity

The Remittance Innovation Toolkit: Guidance on improving access to remittances

There’s no disputing the contribution of migrant remittances to the economic well-being of friends and family back home. For many African countries, the value of remittance flows exceeds that of foreign direct investment.   However accessing the money via formal channels can be challenging for recipients who are faced with Know

Read More »
15 May, 2024
Financial Integrity & Identity

A new approach to tackling deforestation

Over the past three years, the Global Stocktake (GST) embarked on a consultative journey to assess progress towards the objectives of the Paris Climate Change Agreement. The synthesis of these discussions has yielded 17 critical insights, spotlighting both achievements and hurdles in the implementation of the Agreement. Notably, efforts to

Read More »
22 April, 2024
Financial Integrity & Identity

An assessment of customer due diligence and identity regulatory frameworks

Innovation opportunities for enhanced remittance access As part of our Remittance Access Ininitative (RAI), Cenfri conducted a regulatory assessment of seven countries (Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, The Gambia and Uganda) to consider whether the regulatory environment was conducive to innovations around the know-your-customer (KYC) and customer due diligence

Read More »
19 May, 2023
Financial Integrity & Identity

The case for principles-based corporate governance

Corporate governance in financial services remains overly rules-based. In many markets, corporate governance frameworks prioritise tick-box compliance with prescribed requirements over the quality of oversight, decision-making, responsibility and accountability for performance and risk. As financial systems evolve in line with digital innovation, new business models and increasingly complex risk profiles,

1 September, 2026
Consumer Outcomes

Looking back at 2025 and forward to 2026

For those in development, 2025 has been a bit of a wild ride and many organisations have been doing some introspection. The team at Cenfri has been thinking about how we can continue to pursue evidence-driven impact, financial independence and sustainability with an inspired, capable and purpose-driven team (our enduring

11 December, 2025
Financial Integrity & Identity

20+ Years of AML-CFT evolution

Cenfri hosted a two-day seminar, AML | CFT 20: Reflections on 20+ years of AML-CFT implementation, on 22–23 July 2025 at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), Cape Town. The event was convened in collaboration with IFAD, La Trobe University and UWC and brought together regulators, policymakers, academics, financial

27 October, 2025
Digital Transformation & Data

What is fair? Debating new ID verification fees in South Africa

The cost of digital ID verification may seem like a technical detail, but it lies at the heart of expanding access to financial services, supporting innovations such as open finance, and enabling a digital future. In June 2025, South Africa’s (SA’s) Department of Home Affairs (DHA) announced that it would

21 October, 2025
Financial Integrity & Identity

20+ Years of AML-CFT evolution

Since the revision of the 40 Recommendations in 2003, African countries have continued to face significant challenges in aligning compliance obligations with local realities. Despite technical improvements, many jurisdictions still struggle to demonstrate effectiveness in addressing money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing risks, leaving them vulnerable to grey-listing –

27 March, 2025
Consumer Outcomes

7 Lessons from 2024

Our work at Cenfri rarely follows the typical rhythms of the calendar year, yet, as 2024 draws to a close, we thought it would be good to reflect on what we’ve achieved. It’s been a busy few months: we’ve worked on around 50 projects and undertaken work-related travel to 19

11 December, 2024
Financial Integrity & Identity

Unlocking growth: 3 key opportunities for remittance service providers

Many remittance service providers (RSPs) face a tough balancing act; they’re trying to innovate and grow, but it feels like they’re driving with the brakes on. On one side, they need to expand and lower costs to reach more customers, but on the other, strict compliance rules are slowing them

26 September, 2024
Financial Integrity & Identity

The Remittance Innovation Toolkit: Guidance on improving access to remittances

There’s no disputing the contribution of migrant remittances to the economic well-being of friends and family back home. For many African countries, the value of remittance flows exceeds that of foreign direct investment.   However accessing the money via formal channels can be challenging for recipients who are faced with Know

15 May, 2024
Financial Integrity & Identity

A new approach to tackling deforestation

Over the past three years, the Global Stocktake (GST) embarked on a consultative journey to assess progress towards the objectives of the Paris Climate Change Agreement. The synthesis of these discussions has yielded 17 critical insights, spotlighting both achievements and hurdles in the implementation of the Agreement. Notably, efforts to

22 April, 2024
Financial Integrity & Identity

An assessment of customer due diligence and identity regulatory frameworks

Innovation opportunities for enhanced remittance access As part of our Remittance Access Ininitative (RAI), Cenfri conducted a regulatory assessment of seven countries (Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, The Gambia and Uganda) to consider whether the regulatory environment was conducive to innovations around the know-your-customer (KYC) and customer due diligence

19 May, 2023