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Governance, Policy & Regulation

Policymakers, regulators and supervisors in emerging markets are under pressure to develop, implement and enforce policy and regulation that conforms to global best practice but is effective locally despite considerable constraints. Cenfri leverages the legal background, policymaking and regulatory experience of key team members and assists via direct regulatory development or policy guidance but more often through technical assistance and skills building. 

Much of our work has been in the financial sector across Africa, Asia and Latin America. This includes an impressive “regulating for innovation” portfolio in support of financial sector regulators who are grappling with innovation or market development mandates in regulatory environments that do not effectively accommodate the range of risks presented by new financial service innovations. We also support improved digital and data governance in Africa. Examples range from creating a set of scenarios on the possible digital futures in Africa, to developing a data-sharing policy for the Government of Rwanda and researching fit-for-context open finance solutions for Africa. 

Digital platforms: unlocking economic inclusion in the rising era of smart mobility in Africa
Digital Transformation & Data

Digital platforms: unlocking economic inclusion in the rising era of smart mobility in Africa

The movement of Africa’s rapidly growing urban population will be shaped by digital technologies in the era of smart mobility. Smart mobility is the coming together of various key elements, technology, infrastructure and people, that offers flexible first-to-last mile mobility that is integrated, safe, on-demand, and cost-effective. In twenty years,

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21 January, 2020
illicit financial flows
Financial Integrity & Identity

The importance of indicators in combatting illicit financial flows

The problem of illicit financial flows is recognised in the SDGs yet little progress has been made in combatting them Illicit financial flows (IFFs) are typically understood as “dirty money” crossing borders. The term covers a number of different cross-jurisdictional crimes including money laundering (ML), bribery, corruption, resource smuggling, human

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28 October, 2019
Digital Transformation & Data

Inside-out: The good and the bad of insight2impact

Does this situation sound familiar? A development program runs its course, generating lots of intriguing insights and impacts – and experiencing its fair share of setbacks. These successes and failures could provide useful guidance to other initiatives. But once the program is over and the funders and implementers have moved

Read More »
2 October, 2019
E-hailing
Digital Transformation & Data

Exploring Africa’s digital platforms: Insurance in e-hailing

In recent years the platform economy has rapidly transformed various economic sectors such as hospitality, ecommerce and transportation. One of the most important subsectors of the platform economy is e-hailing. E-hailing platforms connect passengers and drivers of cars, taxis or any other form of transportation using virtual devices such as

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5 September, 2019
Regulating for Innovation webinar
Governance, Policy & Regulation

Regulating for innovation: an evolving framework

This focus note aims to equip regulators with a decision framework that illustrates the available tools required to regulate for innovation. Why is it necessary to regulate for innovation? Digital innovation is changing the nature of financial markets. Innovation can create opportunities, enhance efficiencies, increase competition, drive scale, and improve

Read More »
31 August, 2019
Digital Transformation & Data

Africa’s digital future: Policy scenarios

What could Africa look like in 2048?  The digital revolution is gaining ground across Africa. Ambitions around an increasingly digital and connected Africa, underscored by accelerated digitalisation in response to COVID-19 and technological change, have profound implications for life on the continent. These scenarios for Africa’s digital future aim to

Read More »
31 August, 2019
Digital platforms: unlocking economic inclusion in the rising era of smart mobility in Africa
Digital Transformation & Data

Digital platforms: unlocking economic inclusion in the rising era of smart mobility in Africa

The movement of Africa’s rapidly growing urban population will be shaped by digital technologies in the era of smart mobility. Smart mobility is the coming together of various key elements, technology, infrastructure and people, that offers flexible first-to-last mile mobility that is integrated, safe, on-demand, and cost-effective. In twenty years,

21 January, 2020
Delivering online skills training in Africa: Three keys to a successful program
Digital Transformation & Data

Delivering online skills training in Africa: Three keys to a successful programme

The shortage of data science skills is a major challenge for Africa. With relatively few local educational institutions offering dedicated data science degrees, the small contingent of existing Africa-based data scientists tend to have varied backgrounds – and they often acquire their data science skills by piecing together a range

4 November, 2019
Digital Transformation & Data

What do we really know about digital solutions catalysing agribusiness in Africa for women?

Nearly US$3 billion has been generated through agribusiness in Africa, touching the lives of over 33 million users of digital solutions in this space. Digitisation in agribusiness has the potential to unlock greater value for sustainable livelihoods on the continent, especially those of women farmers, who often fall behind in

30 October, 2019
illicit financial flows
Financial Integrity & Identity

The importance of indicators in combatting illicit financial flows

The problem of illicit financial flows is recognised in the SDGs yet little progress has been made in combatting them Illicit financial flows (IFFs) are typically understood as “dirty money” crossing borders. The term covers a number of different cross-jurisdictional crimes including money laundering (ML), bribery, corruption, resource smuggling, human

28 October, 2019
Households
Digital Transformation & Data

Reaching for the future, searching for a vision for Africa’s digital economy

Digitalisation is disrupting markets and economic structures globally, and even advanced economies do not have a clear view of the new economy and the rules that will govern it. While it is clear that we’re going through a period of disruption and change, it’s not yet clear which of the disrupters will

7 October, 2019
Digital Transformation & Data

Inside-out: The good and the bad of insight2impact

Does this situation sound familiar? A development program runs its course, generating lots of intriguing insights and impacts – and experiencing its fair share of setbacks. These successes and failures could provide useful guidance to other initiatives. But once the program is over and the funders and implementers have moved

2 October, 2019
E-hailing
Digital Transformation & Data

Exploring Africa’s digital platforms: Insurance in e-hailing

In recent years the platform economy has rapidly transformed various economic sectors such as hospitality, ecommerce and transportation. One of the most important subsectors of the platform economy is e-hailing. E-hailing platforms connect passengers and drivers of cars, taxis or any other form of transportation using virtual devices such as

5 September, 2019
Regulating for Innovation webinar
Governance, Policy & Regulation

Regulating for innovation: an evolving framework

This focus note aims to equip regulators with a decision framework that illustrates the available tools required to regulate for innovation. Why is it necessary to regulate for innovation? Digital innovation is changing the nature of financial markets. Innovation can create opportunities, enhance efficiencies, increase competition, drive scale, and improve

31 August, 2019
Digital Transformation & Data

Africa’s digital future: Policy scenarios

What could Africa look like in 2048?  The digital revolution is gaining ground across Africa. Ambitions around an increasingly digital and connected Africa, underscored by accelerated digitalisation in response to COVID-19 and technological change, have profound implications for life on the continent. These scenarios for Africa’s digital future aim to

31 August, 2019