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.
A scoping study of five African countries Access to basic services –education, energy, health – is an important socio-economic development goal and directly relevant to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Yet, socio-economic challenges, infrastructure concerns and fiscal constraints still undermine many developing countries’ attempts to provide quality services
In our previous article, Can digital platforms transform first mile food logistics in Africa?, we discussed the importance of the agricultural sector to food security, income and employment in Africa as well as some of the challenges the sector faces in efficiently coordinating. We also introduced the role digital logistics platforms can potentially play in improving
New and proposed financial regulations, such as South Africa’s Pension Funds Amendment Bill, often make headline news because of their wide-reaching and often controversial impact. Financial regulations such as these underpin the financial system and have direct implications for consumers and how they engage with financial services. Whether the focus
Can digital platforms transform first mile food logistics in Africa? The agricultural sector is responsible for food security and is a major contributor to livelihoods across the globe, but particularly in Africa. The supply chains within the sector are vital to ensuring this contribution but they face severe fragmentation and efficiency challenges. Other industries, including logistics, have been disrupted by digital platforms and we want to explore how logistics platforms could improve the efficiency
Considering the changing role of financial regulators and responses to innovation Innovation creates opportunities, enhances efficiencies, increases competition, drives scale, and improves the reach and value of financial products and services to consumers. For many financial regulators, innovation is a double-edged sword which also brings risk, and due to its
On-demand transport services and insurtech Whether as a customer or a business, digital platforms that connect people and services are ubiquitous today. The adoption of technology in food logistics has presented the opportunity to transform agricultural and food systems with tools that are cheaper and quicker to implement. App-based logistics and transport systems have
The Mastercard Foundation has set an objective to enable 30 million young Africans, especially women, to secure employment that they see as dignified and fulfilling by 2030. In Senegal, MCF aims to create dignified and fulfilling work for 3 million young people over the coming decade. This study aimed to understand the
Recommendations to support digital start-ups Cenfri supported Digital Financial in producing a technical guide on the creation of a fund to support a digital start-up ecosystem in Ethiopia. This work was commissioned by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) of Ethiopia in partnership with Digital Pathways at University of Oxford and
The UNSGSA Financial Health Working Group (FHWG) was convened by HM Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA). The working group has released two publications aimed at helping policymakers understand and measure financial health, notably in the context of financial
In 2020, the Africa Fintech Network (AFN), in partnership with findexable and Cenfri, launched the Africa Fintech Radar project. This ongoing initiative strives to showcase and track fintechs operating in Africa through a live listing. The Radar provides critical information to understand the challenges, opportunities and levers for fintech
A scoping study of five African countries Access to basic services –education, energy, health – is an important socio-economic development goal and directly relevant to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Yet, socio-economic challenges, infrastructure concerns and fiscal constraints still undermine many developing countries’ attempts to provide quality services
In our previous article, Can digital platforms transform first mile food logistics in Africa?, we discussed the importance of the agricultural sector to food security, income and employment in Africa as well as some of the challenges the sector faces in efficiently coordinating. We also introduced the role digital logistics platforms can potentially play in improving
New and proposed financial regulations, such as South Africa’s Pension Funds Amendment Bill, often make headline news because of their wide-reaching and often controversial impact. Financial regulations such as these underpin the financial system and have direct implications for consumers and how they engage with financial services. Whether the focus
Can digital platforms transform first mile food logistics in Africa? The agricultural sector is responsible for food security and is a major contributor to livelihoods across the globe, but particularly in Africa. The supply chains within the sector are vital to ensuring this contribution but they face severe fragmentation and efficiency challenges. Other industries, including logistics, have been disrupted by digital platforms and we want to explore how logistics platforms could improve the efficiency
Considering the changing role of financial regulators and responses to innovation Innovation creates opportunities, enhances efficiencies, increases competition, drives scale, and improves the reach and value of financial products and services to consumers. For many financial regulators, innovation is a double-edged sword which also brings risk, and due to its
On-demand transport services and insurtech Whether as a customer or a business, digital platforms that connect people and services are ubiquitous today. The adoption of technology in food logistics has presented the opportunity to transform agricultural and food systems with tools that are cheaper and quicker to implement. App-based logistics and transport systems have
The Mastercard Foundation has set an objective to enable 30 million young Africans, especially women, to secure employment that they see as dignified and fulfilling by 2030. In Senegal, MCF aims to create dignified and fulfilling work for 3 million young people over the coming decade. This study aimed to understand the
Recommendations to support digital start-ups Cenfri supported Digital Financial in producing a technical guide on the creation of a fund to support a digital start-up ecosystem in Ethiopia. This work was commissioned by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) of Ethiopia in partnership with Digital Pathways at University of Oxford and
The UNSGSA Financial Health Working Group (FHWG) was convened by HM Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA). The working group has released two publications aimed at helping policymakers understand and measure financial health, notably in the context of financial
In 2020, the Africa Fintech Network (AFN), in partnership with findexable and Cenfri, launched the Africa Fintech Radar project. This ongoing initiative strives to showcase and track fintechs operating in Africa through a live listing. The Radar provides critical information to understand the challenges, opportunities and levers for fintech
