Now reading: Innovation ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa: How to enable flourishing innovation?

MSMEs, Ecosystems & Economic Opportunity

Improved economic opportunity and more resilient livelihoods are key to sustainable development in emerging markets. Interventions designed to support micro, small and medium-sized businesses (MSMEs), startup ecosystems and more established value-chains need to be effective in unlocking innovation and employment if they are to contribute to economic growth. Cenfri undertakes several areas of related work including:

Digital economy diagnostics
Support for fintech innovation and research on the platform economy
Digital transformation of MSMEs (including innovations in logistics and digital tools for tourism businesses)
MSME finance – payments, credit, investment and resilience (rethinking insurance to meet MSME needs and better manage the risks they face)
MSME segmentation
Technical assistance to the private sector
Scenarios linked to the future of work and food security

Innovation ecosystem
Digital Transformation & Data

Innovation ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa: How to enable flourishing innovation?

Insights from Cape Town, Nairobi and Lagos  With a growing number of tech start-ups, hubs, accelerators and other innovation facilitators, Cape Town, Nairobi and Lagos have put themselves on the map as important innovation ecosystems in Africa. Innovation is a key force for economic growth and development. Not only can it lead to greater efficiencies and productivity, it also

31 August, 2020
Covid-19 and insurers
COVID-19 impact and recovery

Insurers can play a key role in getting societies back to work

In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, insurance should be a primary mechanism for many people across the world to cope. Instead, the limited penetration of insurance products in developing countries has pushed insurance to the periphery. However, all is not lost. Insurers still have a key role to play

26 May, 2020
Behavioural science and Covid19
COVID-19 impact and recovery

Insurance in the age of COVID-19: The pandemic highlights the need for a new approach

For the last decade, Cenfri and other development partners have focused our approach to insurance development on the welfare implications for individuals and households. This remains valid – insurance plays a critical role in ensuring that people and households have the ability to mitigate unexpected financial shocks, preserve their assets

20 April, 2020
Digital platform ecosystem
Digital Africa

Emerging trends from Africa’s digital platforms

Africa is experiencing a wave of digital platform businesses emerging and few economic sectors are untouched by their influence. Relying predominantly on mobile-app-based technology, digital platforms have an impact on livelihoods through matching supply and demand of goods and services, opening up new channels for employment and distributing additional value-added

15 April, 2020
COVID-19 impact and recovery

Maintaining inclusive innovation under COVID-19

In our previous article, we reflected on the different ways that stakeholders can ensure the Cape Town tech ecosystem produces valuable innovation that is as inclusive as possible. While writing that article, the world changed. With many countries now applying varying degrees of social distancing, and with South Africa having

9 April, 2020
Notes during workshop
Digital Africa

Cape Town tech ecosystem: Strengthening inclusive innovation in a divided city

“The idea is that tensions and challenges in the city region also point to opportunities for innovation and that effectively harnessing the city’s diversity could provide Cape Town’s innovation ecosystem with a competitive advantage and distinguishing identity.” Last year, Cape Town made the top 30 global tech cities in the

6 April, 2020
Cenfri Accra Ghana insurance for growth
Insurance for development

The role of insurance for development

This research explores the role of insurance in sustainable development and inclusive growth. DFID partnered with the World Bank, FSDAfrica and Cenfri to conduct a series of diagnostics in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda to understand how insurance market development can contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth. The diagnostics explore

2 October, 2019
DataHack4FI
Data and Analytics

ZPOS: The potential of merchant data in improving credit access

DataHack4FI country winner discovering the prospect of using financial management and accounting systems to generate credit scores Almost half the micro-, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Zambia – comprising approximately 80% [1] of Zambia’s private-sector businesses – perceive the lack of access to credit as a significant hurdle to their

27 February, 2019
Innovation ecosystem
Digital Transformation & Data

Innovation ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa: How to enable flourishing innovation?

Insights from Cape Town, Nairobi and Lagos  With a growing number of tech start-ups, hubs, accelerators and other innovation facilitators, Cape Town, Nairobi and Lagos have put themselves on the map as important innovation ecosystems in Africa. Innovation is a key force for economic growth and development. Not only can it lead to greater efficiencies and productivity, it also

31 August, 2020
Covid-19 and insurers
COVID-19 impact and recovery

Insurers can play a key role in getting societies back to work

In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, insurance should be a primary mechanism for many people across the world to cope. Instead, the limited penetration of insurance products in developing countries has pushed insurance to the periphery. However, all is not lost. Insurers still have a key role to play

26 May, 2020
Behavioural science and Covid19
COVID-19 impact and recovery

Insurance in the age of COVID-19: The pandemic highlights the need for a new approach

For the last decade, Cenfri and other development partners have focused our approach to insurance development on the welfare implications for individuals and households. This remains valid – insurance plays a critical role in ensuring that people and households have the ability to mitigate unexpected financial shocks, preserve their assets

20 April, 2020
Digital platform ecosystem
Digital Africa

Emerging trends from Africa’s digital platforms

Africa is experiencing a wave of digital platform businesses emerging and few economic sectors are untouched by their influence. Relying predominantly on mobile-app-based technology, digital platforms have an impact on livelihoods through matching supply and demand of goods and services, opening up new channels for employment and distributing additional value-added

15 April, 2020
COVID-19 impact and recovery

Maintaining inclusive innovation under COVID-19

In our previous article, we reflected on the different ways that stakeholders can ensure the Cape Town tech ecosystem produces valuable innovation that is as inclusive as possible. While writing that article, the world changed. With many countries now applying varying degrees of social distancing, and with South Africa having

9 April, 2020
Notes during workshop
Digital Africa

Cape Town tech ecosystem: Strengthening inclusive innovation in a divided city

“The idea is that tensions and challenges in the city region also point to opportunities for innovation and that effectively harnessing the city’s diversity could provide Cape Town’s innovation ecosystem with a competitive advantage and distinguishing identity.” Last year, Cape Town made the top 30 global tech cities in the

6 April, 2020
Cenfri Accra Ghana insurance for growth
Insurance for development

The role of insurance for development

This research explores the role of insurance in sustainable development and inclusive growth. DFID partnered with the World Bank, FSDAfrica and Cenfri to conduct a series of diagnostics in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda to understand how insurance market development can contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth. The diagnostics explore

2 October, 2019
DataHack4FI
Data and Analytics

ZPOS: The potential of merchant data in improving credit access

DataHack4FI country winner discovering the prospect of using financial management and accounting systems to generate credit scores Almost half the micro-, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Zambia – comprising approximately 80% [1] of Zambia’s private-sector businesses – perceive the lack of access to credit as a significant hurdle to their

27 February, 2019
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