Now reading: Data in real time: How digitalisation is transforming financial policies in Africa

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. 

Data in Real Time: How Digitalisation is Transforming Financial Policies in Africa
Governance, Policy & Regulation

Data in real time: How digitalisation is transforming financial policies in Africa

For the past year, Cenfri and Finmark Trust have been partnering with NextBillion to share insights from their Insight2Impact (i2i) initiative, a five-year program that has sought to improve financial inclusion and related public policies through the smarter use of data. Their Openi2i Series has explored key learning areas from the program, ranging from program design and stakeholder engagement to digital skills development and innovation

Read More »
25 November, 2020
Consumer Outcomes

Building foundations for new behavioural scientists in Africa

Behavioural science studies how people behave and tries to answer why they behave in the way they do. This is done by looking at how people process information and how context affects our decisions. Being aware of their customers’ decision-making processes can help financial services providers develop products that really

Read More »
14 November, 2020
Digital app services in sub-Saharan Africa sees promising start
Consumer Outcomes

Digital app services in sub-Saharan Africa sees promising start

Expanded smartphone access in Africa underpins evolving consumer behaviour. Smartphone uptake in Africa is growing rapidly. GSMA reported that smartphone adoption in sub-Saharan Africa reached 45% in 2018 – nearly half a billion people – and is projected to reach 66% by 2025. To put that further into perspective, 623

Read More »
7 October, 2020
How do we develop work-ready youth in a digital age?
Digital Transformation & Data

How do we develop work-ready youth in a digital age?

Although Kevin has a master’s degree in science and had been teaching ICT to secondary school students in Kenya for over 25 years, he scored just 61% on a digital skills test run by Cenfri. This test asked participants to research and digitally present a day trip to Nairobi for German

Read More »
3 September, 2020
FinTecHub and Cenfri: partnership announcement
Digital Transformation & Data

FinTecHub and Cenfri: partnership announcement

FinTecHub and Cenfri are pleased to announce the signing of their new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This MoU underlines the shared interest of FinTecHub and Cenfri in developing and strengthening African fintech, and Rwandan fintech in particular. FinTecHub is Rwanda’s dedicated virtual accelerator that supports selected Rwandan fintech start-ups to

Read More »
28 August, 2020
Recover and adapt
Governance, Policy & Regulation

COVID-19 policy response framework

COVID-19 is leaving no country unaffected. For the development community and national policymakers, this creates a clear imperative: Wield whatever tools will be most effective to provide immediate relief and, more importantly, support longer-term adaptation to break the downward spiral. But this is easier said than done in sub-Saharan Africa

Read More »
18 August, 2020
Eswatini CBDC diagnostic study
Consumer Outcomes

Eswatini Central Bank Digital Currency diagnostic study

Central banks across the developed and developing world have begun considering the possibility of implementing a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) to enhance drivers for economic growth and financial sector development such as financial inclusion, digital financial services and national payment system (NPS) efficiency. CBDC is a digital representation of

Read More »
13 August, 2020
Data in Real Time: How Digitalisation is Transforming Financial Policies in Africa
Governance, Policy & Regulation

Data in real time: How digitalisation is transforming financial policies in Africa

For the past year, Cenfri and Finmark Trust have been partnering with NextBillion to share insights from their Insight2Impact (i2i) initiative, a five-year program that has sought to improve financial inclusion and related public policies through the smarter use of data. Their Openi2i Series has explored key learning areas from the program, ranging from program design and stakeholder engagement to digital skills development and innovation

25 November, 2020
Consumer Outcomes

Building foundations for new behavioural scientists in Africa

Behavioural science studies how people behave and tries to answer why they behave in the way they do. This is done by looking at how people process information and how context affects our decisions. Being aware of their customers’ decision-making processes can help financial services providers develop products that really

14 November, 2020
Cell captive insurance
Governance, Policy & Regulation

South Africa’s draft conduct standard for third-party cell captives: ironing out the details

In September 2020, the South African Financial Services Conduct Authority (FSCA) published the draft conduct standard for third-party cell captives for public comment. The issuance of the draft conduct standard represents the culmination of a long regulatory journey for cell captives in South Africa, first via licence conditions placed on

6 November, 2020
Digital app services in sub-Saharan Africa sees promising start
Consumer Outcomes

Digital app services in sub-Saharan Africa sees promising start

Expanded smartphone access in Africa underpins evolving consumer behaviour. Smartphone uptake in Africa is growing rapidly. GSMA reported that smartphone adoption in sub-Saharan Africa reached 45% in 2018 – nearly half a billion people – and is projected to reach 66% by 2025. To put that further into perspective, 623

7 October, 2020
How do we develop work-ready youth in a digital age?
Digital Transformation & Data

How do we develop work-ready youth in a digital age?

Although Kevin has a master’s degree in science and had been teaching ICT to secondary school students in Kenya for over 25 years, he scored just 61% on a digital skills test run by Cenfri. This test asked participants to research and digitally present a day trip to Nairobi for German

3 September, 2020
FinTecHub and Cenfri: partnership announcement
Digital Transformation & Data

FinTecHub and Cenfri: partnership announcement

FinTecHub and Cenfri are pleased to announce the signing of their new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This MoU underlines the shared interest of FinTecHub and Cenfri in developing and strengthening African fintech, and Rwandan fintech in particular. FinTecHub is Rwanda’s dedicated virtual accelerator that supports selected Rwandan fintech start-ups to

28 August, 2020
Recover and adapt
Governance, Policy & Regulation

COVID-19 policy response framework

COVID-19 is leaving no country unaffected. For the development community and national policymakers, this creates a clear imperative: Wield whatever tools will be most effective to provide immediate relief and, more importantly, support longer-term adaptation to break the downward spiral. But this is easier said than done in sub-Saharan Africa

18 August, 2020
Eswatini CBDC diagnostic study
Consumer Outcomes

Eswatini Central Bank Digital Currency diagnostic study

Central banks across the developed and developing world have begun considering the possibility of implementing a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) to enhance drivers for economic growth and financial sector development such as financial inclusion, digital financial services and national payment system (NPS) efficiency. CBDC is a digital representation of

13 August, 2020
Youth and digital platforms
Digital Transformation & Data

African youth and mixed livelihoods: Tech provides silver lining amid pandemic

In 2019, one in five youth in Africa were not in employment, education or training [1]. Each year, 10 to 12 million youth enter the workforce [2], while only 3 million formal jobs are created. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and a deterioration in African growth prospects is expected

12 August, 2020
©2008 – 2022 Cenfri. All Rights Reserved | SEO