Cenfri has broad experience in fit-for-purpose payment systems in emerging markets, particularly in Africa. We work towards making retail payments a public good, assisting central banks, payments operators and payment system participants navigate domestic and cross-border payments modernisation in a manner that contributes to economic inclusion.
We have worked extensively in instant/faster retail payment systems and in improving access to remittances for low-income households. Other projects range from diagnostic and landscaping studies, developing a national payments vision, to analysing payments legislation and regulation, and feasibility studies on central bank digital currency (CBDC). The convergence of payments and identity, as well as the focus on digitising the entire value chain rather than limited use cases, is central to our theory of change in digital payments.
We have worked with IFAD’s Financing Facility for Remittances, the World Bank, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, AfricaNenda, FSD Africa, FSD Kenya, GIZ, UNCDF, BankservAfrica, Finmark Trust, the African Union and the Alliance for Financial Inclusion.
From experiencing the informal remittance journey first-hand on the bus to Harare, to unpacking payment system barriers in Côte d’Ivoire and Togo, to developing a cross-border payments strategy in the East African Community – payments is one of our long-standing thematic areas at Cenfri. It’s also the digital financial service
Many remittance service providers (RSPs) face a tough balancing act; they’re trying to innovate and grow, but it feels like they’re driving with the brakes on. On one side, they need to expand and lower costs to reach more customers, but on the other, strict compliance rules are slowing them
There’s no disputing the contribution of migrant remittances to the economic well-being of friends and family back home. For many African countries, the value of remittance flows exceeds that of foreign direct investment. However accessing the money via formal channels can be challenging for recipients who are faced with Know
Digital financial services are transforming global financial service provision and access. Rapid developments in fintech are disrupting and transforming financial landscapes worldwide, leading to new partnerships, including those with traditional financial service providers, to better serve existing customers and reach previously underserved consumer segments. However, the benefits of DFS are
A diagnostic study on women cross-border traders between South Africa and Lesotho, Malawi and Mozambique Informal cross-border trade plays a significant economic role in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), making up an estimated 30-40% of total intra-regional trade. It is valued at an estimated USD (United States Dollar) 17.6
Real-time retail payments that enable consumers to send and receive cross-border and domestic transactions digitally are on the rise globally. The increasing proliferation of QR codes, apps, tap-and-go card technology, and small-value payments using proxy identifiers (aliases) such as phone numbers and email addresses have made payments one of
Remittances are a valuable lifeline for Africans, with over USD 100 billion flowing into the continent annually from a migrant workforce of 40 million individuals worldwide. In over a quarter of African countries, remittance flows are equivalent to more than 4% of GDP, a number that rises to more than
KYC and CDD requirements can inhibit access to remittances for low-income, rural households and women. These are our findings from the Remittance Access Initiative where we provided technical assistance – in partnership with IFAD’s Financing Facility for Remittances – through a range of interventions across 7 African countries.
Interoperable payment systems improve the efficiency and effectiveness of retail and cross-border payments. Cenfri worked with BankservAfrica on a white paper that assesses the state of cross border payments within the Southern African Development Community (SADC). We examined the challenges in the cross-border payment market, and how instant payment systems
Innovation opportunities for enhanced remittance access As part of our Remittance Access Ininitative (RAI), Cenfri conducted a regulatory assessment of seven countries (Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, The Gambia and Uganda) to consider whether the regulatory environment was conducive to innovations around the know-your-customer (KYC) and customer due diligence
