Cenfri has deep insurance expertise from working with the insurance markets in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Insurance penetration in these markets is often low and we understand the need for responsible market innovation so that insurance fulfils its optimal role in building resilience, supporting business growth, and contributing to broader policy and development objectives.
The breadth of Cenfri’s insurance and resilience work spans diagnostic studies, development of global and regional standards and national regulations, technical assistance and innovation support (to regulators and the private sector), innovation studies, MSME-tailored resilience solutions, improved risk management in response to climate-related events, and definitive work on cell captives.
Our partners include GIZ, Access to Insurance Initiative (A2ii), the UK’s FCDO (formerly DFID), the FSD Africa and other financial sector deepening trusts, the Swiss Capacity Building Fund, FSCA, Hollard, Santam, Old Mutual, AXA, Britam, Generali, the Microinsurance Network, UNCDF, UNDP, The World Bank, IFC, IADB and ADB.
Funeral parlours and burial societies deliver value to consumers by meeting essential functional needs, but also by meeting social and cultural needs. Funeral parlours have a powerful position in the funeral value chain. This exposes consumers to abuse. Such abuses are common and cut across different spheres, such as health
Zambia is one of nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa with more registered mobile money accounts than bank accounts (GSMA, 2013). Previous case studies investigating the rise of m-insurance (i.e. microinsurance sold through mobile phones) in Zimbabwe and Tanzania, highlighted that whilst m-insurance initiatives have the potential to enhance access to
Agent networks are critical for expanding access to financial services in developing countries. They enable providers to offer viable cost-effective financial services at scale in developing countries reaching previously unserved and underserved adults. The focus has traditionally been on networked agents but increasingly providers are recognising the potential of un-networked
Digital financial services are increasingly seen as a way to address the high transaction costs impeding scale and access in financial services. There is growing interest in how digitisation could impact microinsurance, whether through distribution, scale, collections, or improving the efficiency of the value chain. Digital microinsurance is generally broader
Microinsurance is seen as a mechanism through which low-income consumers can manage their risks, reduce their vulnerability and improve their welfare. The guaranteed benefit provided by insurance also allows for the development of critical services, which may otherwise not have been available to the community. While extending coverage by insurance
Most providers of health microinsurance have struggled to achieve sustainability without public or donor support, despite health insurance being one of the most sought-after microinsurance products in many regions of the developing world. A lack of data and adequate skills for pricing, as well as the challenges around effectively forming
Mobile insurance (m-insurance) can play an important role in enhancing access to insurance, especially in regions where distribution and reach pose challenges to serving the market. Due to the significant penetration of mobile phones, airtime vendors, and mobile money agents, m-insurance initiatives have the potential to reach scale almost overnight.
Credit life insurance may be the first type of insurance that many low-income consumers encounter. It can offer an opportunity for introducing consumers to the concept of insurance or lead to consumer protection concerns if consumers are not aware that they have insurance, or if a captive market leads to
Retailers in South Africa provide a range of financial services that include credit, insurance, money transfer and savings products. By identifying the key factors that influence the decision to use financial services from retailers this study aims to position the current and potential role of retailers in servicing the financial
An update on microinsurance in South Africa. In 2011, a policy document entrenched and refined a proposed microinsurance regulatory framework for South Africa that was envisaged to be incorporated into a forthcoming Microinsurance Act and subordinate legislation. However, in 2013 the decision was made to no longer pursue standalone microinsurance
