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.
To support the development of microinsurance markets a project was launched under the auspices of the International association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS)-Microinsurance Network (MIN) Joint Working Group on Microinsurance (JWGMII) aimed at mapping the experience of five developing countries – Colombia, India, the Philippines, South Africa and Uganda – where
This 2009 study identifies the main drivers of health insurance costs in South Africa, as well as strategies that could be used to reduce these costs to support the inclusion of low-income earners. Study tour of South African branchless and mobile banking sector By request of the Pakistani Microfinance
Zimbabwe is heavily reliant on remittance flows from South Africa and particularly Johannesburg. As many Zimbabweans are undocumented, they cannot access formal channels for money transfers. This 2009 study was commissioned to sketch a picture of the remittances landscape in the Johannesburg-Zimbabwe corridor. The aim was to build an understanding
In the early 2000s, South Africa achieved remarkable progress in the area of financial inclusion for lower-income households, specifically in the banking and, to a lesser degree, insurance markets. Limited progress had been made in expanding medical schemes (government’s chosen vehicle for private health financing) to more South Africans. While
This 2009 study considers the opportunities and challenges for microinsurance development in Zambia. It develops a comprehensive understanding of the market on which strategies for the development of microinsurance in Zambia could be based. The analysis included a review of the demand-side, supply-side and regulatory dimensions of the microinsurance market
South Africa is faced with the challenge of extending insurance products to low-income individuals. At the time of the research the insurance sector had started to act upon this realisation by re-examining the insurance needs of low-income households. This change in focus was triggered by a number of factors, including
The need to provide for funerals is one of the key drivers of financial behaviour for many South Africans and has led to a relatively sophisticated and widely accessed informal financial sector. Informal savings groups play an important role in mitigating the risks of low-income households and are often complemented
