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.
Limited digitalisation of the insurance sector in Africa constrains uptake. Less than 10% of adults across nine sub-Saharan African countries have private insurance. The low uptake is in part due to high delivery costs and low levels of digitalisation. African insurers, banks and brokers typically rely on manual processes for selling
The GIZ Compendium on how to improve insurance for MSMEs in a number of countries. The work compiled in this compendium includes knowledge-building products, training concepts for MSMEs and the insurance industry as well as innovative approaches to design and deliver insurance and risk management services to MSMEs.
A demand-side perspective of the risk management and resilience needs of remittance senders from South Africa to Ghana, Malawi and Zimbabwe Remittance-linked insurance products (RLIPs) are insurance products distributed by remittance service providers. These products have great potential to positively impact livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa. They cover the risks of
In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) make vital contributions to growth, employment and livelihoods, representing more than 90% of businesses and employing about 60% of workers. However, the full potential of MSMEs is often not realised as they are highly exposed to risks that threaten their
How proof of address fell In our financial integrity work, we found that in the wake of global efforts to curb money laundering and combat the financing of terrorism (AML-CFT), financial integrity often came at the cost of financial inclusion. The requirement for financial service providers to undertake know-your-customer (KYC) and customer due diligence (CDD)
Britam and M-TIBA receive Swiss Capacity Building Facility (SCBF) funding to scale up mobile-based health insurance Britam and M-TIBA have received funding from Zurich based SCBF for technical assistance to scale up a mobile health insurance solution offered by Britam and accessed on the M-TIBA mobile platform. The SCBF funding
A case study on Turaco and Fenix International in Uganda Generally, health insurance has a very low uptake across Africa. According to Finscope, 53% of Ugandan adults report experiencing a health risk in the last year but only 1.4% of adults have any kind of formal insurance. Ugandan insurtech Turaco created a hospital
In 2021, migrants’ remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) reached US$540 billion, only 1.6 per cent below the US$548 billion seen in 2019, and are expected to recover in 2021. In the offset of the crisis, over 200 million migrants defied predictions of the pandemic and continued to
Flooding in urban areas across Africa is on the rise. The continent needs to implement risk-management techniques to ensure its cities are resilient to climate change and the devastation it can cause. This article explores possible ways Africa can build resilience against flooding in urban areas. Across Africa the annual
Most Ugandans face insurable risks, yet uptake of insurance remains very low at only 1.4%. Innovations in global insurance markets have illustrated how insurance can be better designed, offer more affordably and thus provide better value for customers. Uganda enacted a new Insurance Act in 2018. This act expanded the
Limited digitalisation of the insurance sector in Africa constrains uptake. Less than 10% of adults across nine sub-Saharan African countries have private insurance. The low uptake is in part due to high delivery costs and low levels of digitalisation. African insurers, banks and brokers typically rely on manual processes for selling
The GIZ Compendium on how to improve insurance for MSMEs in a number of countries. The work compiled in this compendium includes knowledge-building products, training concepts for MSMEs and the insurance industry as well as innovative approaches to design and deliver insurance and risk management services to MSMEs.
A demand-side perspective of the risk management and resilience needs of remittance senders from South Africa to Ghana, Malawi and Zimbabwe Remittance-linked insurance products (RLIPs) are insurance products distributed by remittance service providers. These products have great potential to positively impact livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa. They cover the risks of
In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) make vital contributions to growth, employment and livelihoods, representing more than 90% of businesses and employing about 60% of workers. However, the full potential of MSMEs is often not realised as they are highly exposed to risks that threaten their
How proof of address fell In our financial integrity work, we found that in the wake of global efforts to curb money laundering and combat the financing of terrorism (AML-CFT), financial integrity often came at the cost of financial inclusion. The requirement for financial service providers to undertake know-your-customer (KYC) and customer due diligence (CDD)
Britam and M-TIBA receive Swiss Capacity Building Facility (SCBF) funding to scale up mobile-based health insurance Britam and M-TIBA have received funding from Zurich based SCBF for technical assistance to scale up a mobile health insurance solution offered by Britam and accessed on the M-TIBA mobile platform. The SCBF funding
A case study on Turaco and Fenix International in Uganda Generally, health insurance has a very low uptake across Africa. According to Finscope, 53% of Ugandan adults report experiencing a health risk in the last year but only 1.4% of adults have any kind of formal insurance. Ugandan insurtech Turaco created a hospital
In 2021, migrants’ remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) reached US$540 billion, only 1.6 per cent below the US$548 billion seen in 2019, and are expected to recover in 2021. In the offset of the crisis, over 200 million migrants defied predictions of the pandemic and continued to
Flooding in urban areas across Africa is on the rise. The continent needs to implement risk-management techniques to ensure its cities are resilient to climate change and the devastation it can cause. This article explores possible ways Africa can build resilience against flooding in urban areas. Across Africa the annual
Most Ugandans face insurable risks, yet uptake of insurance remains very low at only 1.4%. Innovations in global insurance markets have illustrated how insurance can be better designed, offer more affordably and thus provide better value for customers. Uganda enacted a new Insurance Act in 2018. This act expanded the
