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.
Just a few years ago, there were strict rules about who was allowed to provide which services in what countries, with national governments controlling the products and services offered in their jurisdictions. Things have changed. Take the financial sector. Typically, a global player would either have to work via a
Digital identity is increasingly becoming the key enabler of digital inclusion across the globe. We conducted three country diagnostic studies to understand and assess the use cases and ecosystem requirements for a digital identity (ID) platform in the Pacific Island countries of Fiji, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. This research
What is the New Nexus Initiative? Cenfri, with support from GIZ and in collaboration with On Think Tanks, is hosting a series of digital dialogues to explore issues at the intersection of digital governance, digital financial services (DFS) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across emerging economies. The digital meetups connect development partners, industry experts, academics,
Kigali, Rwanda, 2 June 2021: Today, the Ministry of ICT and Innovation in Rwanda, Cenfri, and the Mastercard Foundation have signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding to kick-off an ambitious three-year digital transformation programme in Rwanda aiming at harnessing Rwanda’s big data to enhance the Government’s digital capabilities and systems. Building
In many African countries, the potential for inclusive insurance markets is significant, however, this potential has yet to be fully realised. High entry barriers for new innovative players and regulation that may not effectively accommodate them are important contributing factors. The cell captive model has emerged as a way for entrepreneurs or organisations with an insurance business
A framework for enabling access to finance for MSMEs in Africa Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have been cited as one of the strongest drivers of economic development, job creation and innovation. Yet one of the biggest constraints stifling MSMEs growth, particularly in Africa, is the difficulty associated with accessing finance (Bruhn et al.,
WIRED: Social media CEOs hearing can’t defend their business model When Clive Humby (while advising UK retailer Tesco on the use of data in their loyalty programme), invented the now overused mantra that “data is the new oil” he most likely did not anticipate that the analogy would extend to the negative consequences of the oil economy
Leveraging digital labour platforms to provide jobs for graduates in Nigeria Nigeria faces a huge challenge of unemployment, with 27% of the population out of work. Their graduates are one of the hardest-hit groups: In 2019, 36.3% of graduates lacked formal employment in Nigeria, which is higher than the overall
A supervisory toolkit to help regulators navigate their role and guide decisions in regulating for innovation. The need to create an environment that enables innovation is an increasingly important priority for financial regulators across the developing world. Regulatory mandates have expanded and financial regulators are increasingly legally responsible for the conduct of business, consumer outcomes and proactive market
The global COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised the importance of connectedness – and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) across Africa are no exception. As MSMEs begin a path to recovery in 2021, digital platforms can be a way to get them reconnected. The impact of COVID-19 on MSMEs in Africa
Just a few years ago, there were strict rules about who was allowed to provide which services in what countries, with national governments controlling the products and services offered in their jurisdictions. Things have changed. Take the financial sector. Typically, a global player would either have to work via a
Digital identity is increasingly becoming the key enabler of digital inclusion across the globe. We conducted three country diagnostic studies to understand and assess the use cases and ecosystem requirements for a digital identity (ID) platform in the Pacific Island countries of Fiji, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. This research
What is the New Nexus Initiative? Cenfri, with support from GIZ and in collaboration with On Think Tanks, is hosting a series of digital dialogues to explore issues at the intersection of digital governance, digital financial services (DFS) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across emerging economies. The digital meetups connect development partners, industry experts, academics,
Kigali, Rwanda, 2 June 2021: Today, the Ministry of ICT and Innovation in Rwanda, Cenfri, and the Mastercard Foundation have signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding to kick-off an ambitious three-year digital transformation programme in Rwanda aiming at harnessing Rwanda’s big data to enhance the Government’s digital capabilities and systems. Building
In many African countries, the potential for inclusive insurance markets is significant, however, this potential has yet to be fully realised. High entry barriers for new innovative players and regulation that may not effectively accommodate them are important contributing factors. The cell captive model has emerged as a way for entrepreneurs or organisations with an insurance business
A framework for enabling access to finance for MSMEs in Africa Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have been cited as one of the strongest drivers of economic development, job creation and innovation. Yet one of the biggest constraints stifling MSMEs growth, particularly in Africa, is the difficulty associated with accessing finance (Bruhn et al.,
WIRED: Social media CEOs hearing can’t defend their business model When Clive Humby (while advising UK retailer Tesco on the use of data in their loyalty programme), invented the now overused mantra that “data is the new oil” he most likely did not anticipate that the analogy would extend to the negative consequences of the oil economy
Leveraging digital labour platforms to provide jobs for graduates in Nigeria Nigeria faces a huge challenge of unemployment, with 27% of the population out of work. Their graduates are one of the hardest-hit groups: In 2019, 36.3% of graduates lacked formal employment in Nigeria, which is higher than the overall
A supervisory toolkit to help regulators navigate their role and guide decisions in regulating for innovation. The need to create an environment that enables innovation is an increasingly important priority for financial regulators across the developing world. Regulatory mandates have expanded and financial regulators are increasingly legally responsible for the conduct of business, consumer outcomes and proactive market
The global COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised the importance of connectedness – and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) across Africa are no exception. As MSMEs begin a path to recovery in 2021, digital platforms can be a way to get them reconnected. The impact of COVID-19 on MSMEs in Africa
