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.
This blog was written as part of GIZ’s Governance of Digital Finance project. Blog 1 of 3. According to the 2025 Findex, women’s account ownership now stands at 77% globally, up from 58% in 2014. This progress matters, as digital financial services (DFS) are shown to enhance women’s economic opportunities
Too often, financial systems overlook the lived realities of women, leading to products, policies, and market structures that do not adequately serve them. In an effort to change this, Cenfri applies a gender lens across its financial inclusion and market diagnostics work. We have developed a portfolio of related work
For those in development, 2025 has been a bit of a wild ride and many organisations have been doing some introspection. The team at Cenfri has been thinking about how we can continue to pursue evidence-driven impact, financial independence and sustainability with an inspired, capable and purpose-driven team (our enduring
Fraud and scam activity is increasing in African economies, as more citizens access digital financial services and as incomes rise. The latest Findex results show that more than 30% of adults in Sub-Saharan Africa report having received scam or online extortion messages, well above the global average. At the same
Several measures have been developed to calculate the contribution of remittance inflows to economic growth in a country or region. One popular figure, that shows the relative importance of remittances for national income, is “remittances inflows as a percentage of GDP”. This indicator, made periodically available by the World Bank,
After over a year of collaborative research, in-depth analysis, and multi-stakeholder consultation, Cenfri is proud to present the East African Community Cross-Border Payment System Masterplan. It is a visionary five-year roadmap to harmonise, modernise and integrate regional payment systems. This project was made possible through the generous support of the
2025 is a pivotal year in global development, as we are only five years away from the current deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With slowing economic growth and other macroeconomic challenges putting pressure on already declining development aid, exacerbated by the recent steps by the US government to
Our work at Cenfri rarely follows the typical rhythms of the calendar year, yet, as 2024 draws to a close, we thought it would be good to reflect on what we’ve achieved. It’s been a busy few months: we’ve worked on around 50 projects and undertaken work-related travel to 19
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
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
This blog was written as part of GIZ’s Governance of Digital Finance project. Blog 1 of 3. According to the 2025 Findex, women’s account ownership now stands at 77% globally, up from 58% in 2014. This progress matters, as digital financial services (DFS) are shown to enhance women’s economic opportunities
Too often, financial systems overlook the lived realities of women, leading to products, policies, and market structures that do not adequately serve them. In an effort to change this, Cenfri applies a gender lens across its financial inclusion and market diagnostics work. We have developed a portfolio of related work
For those in development, 2025 has been a bit of a wild ride and many organisations have been doing some introspection. The team at Cenfri has been thinking about how we can continue to pursue evidence-driven impact, financial independence and sustainability with an inspired, capable and purpose-driven team (our enduring
Fraud and scam activity is increasing in African economies, as more citizens access digital financial services and as incomes rise. The latest Findex results show that more than 30% of adults in Sub-Saharan Africa report having received scam or online extortion messages, well above the global average. At the same
Several measures have been developed to calculate the contribution of remittance inflows to economic growth in a country or region. One popular figure, that shows the relative importance of remittances for national income, is “remittances inflows as a percentage of GDP”. This indicator, made periodically available by the World Bank,
After over a year of collaborative research, in-depth analysis, and multi-stakeholder consultation, Cenfri is proud to present the East African Community Cross-Border Payment System Masterplan. It is a visionary five-year roadmap to harmonise, modernise and integrate regional payment systems. This project was made possible through the generous support of the
2025 is a pivotal year in global development, as we are only five years away from the current deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With slowing economic growth and other macroeconomic challenges putting pressure on already declining development aid, exacerbated by the recent steps by the US government to
Our work at Cenfri rarely follows the typical rhythms of the calendar year, yet, as 2024 draws to a close, we thought it would be good to reflect on what we’ve achieved. It’s been a busy few months: we’ve worked on around 50 projects and undertaken work-related travel to 19
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
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
