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Resilience & Insurance

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. 

Impact of COVID-19 on insurance
Payments & Remittances

Never waste a crisis – how sub-Saharan African insurers are being affected by, and are responding to, COVID-19

COVID-19 containment and mitigation measures in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have restricted the movement of people, goods and services. This has affected insurers’ operations, which, to a large extent, have traditionally required physical engagement. It is also affecting insurers’ ability to launch new products, conclude new sales, collect premiums, service existing

Read More »
13 July, 2020
Leadership and police insurance COVID-19
Governance, Policy & Regulation

Leading from the front

Why visible and proactive policy leadership matters more than ever for insurance in the wake of COVID-19 As we discussed in our first blog in this series, our deep dive studies[1] across four Sub-Saharan Africa countries show that insurance matters for sustainable development and growth on three fronts: by building

Read More »
10 July, 2020
insurance
Resilience & Insurance

Microinsurance Network Annual Report 2019

International concern about the impacts of climate change and natural disasters has brought the insurance community together to build resilience and manage risk more effectively. At a time when insurers should be leveraging their risk management skills and not merely selling risk transfer policies, some companies want to reduce their

Read More »
8 July, 2020
impact of COVID-19 on the sustainability of African insurance markets
Payments & Remittances

Webinar: The impact of COVID-19 on the sustainability of African insurance markets

The COVID-19 health crisis has turned into an economic crisis that is affecting a broad range of sectors. On 27 March, the IAIS released a statement saying that, while insurers “are exposed on both sides of their balance sheets”, they “are generally well capitalised with sophisticated risk management capabilities, which should help the sector as a whole to

Read More »
18 June, 2020
Staying afloat: The sustainability of insurers
Payments & Remittances

Staying afloat: The sustainability of insurers

The impact of COVID-19 on SSA insurance markets The COVID-19 health crisis is already turning into an economic crisis that will see a broad range of sectors affected. The IAIS and IMF deem the insurance sector to be relatively resilient as a result of the steps taken in response to

Read More »
5 June, 2020
Digital Transformation & Data

Exploring the value of financial services across digital platforms in the construction sector

The construction sector – which accounts for 4.5% of GDP in sub-Saharan Africa – forms a critical component of economies, but it faces significant challenges related to shortages of skilled labour, low technology adoption, and payment disputes. Partly supported by digital platforms, digitisation and associated data infrastructure support contractors and

Read More »
29 May, 2020
Climate change
Resilience & Insurance

Risk vs. resilience: Insuring sustainable African cities in the age of climate change

Though much of the global conversation is, understandably, focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change continues to have devastating effects on communities, businesses and governments around the world. For instance, in 2018 alone, there were 53 climate-related disasters in Africa, which caused economic losses totalling $1.3 billion and insured losses totalling

Read More »
29 May, 2020
Covid-19 and insurers
MSMEs, Ecosystems & Economic Opportunity

Insurers can play a key role in getting societies back to work

In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, insurance should be a primary mechanism for many people across the world to cope. Instead, the limited penetration of insurance products in developing countries has pushed insurance to the periphery. However, all is not lost. Insurers still have a key role to play

Read More »
26 May, 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on insurance
Payments & Remittances

Never waste a crisis – how sub-Saharan African insurers are being affected by, and are responding to, COVID-19

COVID-19 containment and mitigation measures in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have restricted the movement of people, goods and services. This has affected insurers’ operations, which, to a large extent, have traditionally required physical engagement. It is also affecting insurers’ ability to launch new products, conclude new sales, collect premiums, service existing

13 July, 2020
Leadership and police insurance COVID-19
Governance, Policy & Regulation

Leading from the front

Why visible and proactive policy leadership matters more than ever for insurance in the wake of COVID-19 As we discussed in our first blog in this series, our deep dive studies[1] across four Sub-Saharan Africa countries show that insurance matters for sustainable development and growth on three fronts: by building

10 July, 2020
insurance
Resilience & Insurance

Microinsurance Network Annual Report 2019

International concern about the impacts of climate change and natural disasters has brought the insurance community together to build resilience and manage risk more effectively. At a time when insurers should be leveraging their risk management skills and not merely selling risk transfer policies, some companies want to reduce their

8 July, 2020
impact of COVID-19 on the sustainability of African insurance markets
Payments & Remittances

Implications of COVID-19 for the sustainability of insurers in sub-Saharan Africa

Webinar: The impact of COVID-19 on the sustainability of African insurance markets Our research in partnership with FSD Africa shows that many insurers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) were already vulnerable before the onset of COVID-19 and that the effects of the pandemic will heighten this vulnerability. What are the medium

25 June, 2020
impact of COVID-19 on the sustainability of African insurance markets
Payments & Remittances

Webinar: The impact of COVID-19 on the sustainability of African insurance markets

The COVID-19 health crisis has turned into an economic crisis that is affecting a broad range of sectors. On 27 March, the IAIS released a statement saying that, while insurers “are exposed on both sides of their balance sheets”, they “are generally well capitalised with sophisticated risk management capabilities, which should help the sector as a whole to

18 June, 2020
Staying afloat: The sustainability of insurers
Payments & Remittances

Staying afloat: The sustainability of insurers

The impact of COVID-19 on SSA insurance markets The COVID-19 health crisis is already turning into an economic crisis that will see a broad range of sectors affected. The IAIS and IMF deem the insurance sector to be relatively resilient as a result of the steps taken in response to

5 June, 2020
Digital Transformation & Data

Exploring the value of financial services across digital platforms in the construction sector

The construction sector – which accounts for 4.5% of GDP in sub-Saharan Africa – forms a critical component of economies, but it faces significant challenges related to shortages of skilled labour, low technology adoption, and payment disputes. Partly supported by digital platforms, digitisation and associated data infrastructure support contractors and

29 May, 2020
I’ll see you in court!
Resilience & Insurance

The impact of COVID-19 on digitisation in the insurance sector in sub-Saharan Africa

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated a number of existing challenges in the sub-Saharan African (SSA) insurance industry and has placed further pressure on the need to address these challenges. The lack of digitisation across the continent has been strongly highlighted in the last few months, with many insurers’ operations heavily

29 May, 2020
Climate change
Resilience & Insurance

Risk vs. resilience: Insuring sustainable African cities in the age of climate change

Though much of the global conversation is, understandably, focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change continues to have devastating effects on communities, businesses and governments around the world. For instance, in 2018 alone, there were 53 climate-related disasters in Africa, which caused economic losses totalling $1.3 billion and insured losses totalling

29 May, 2020
Covid-19 and insurers
MSMEs, Ecosystems & Economic Opportunity

Insurers can play a key role in getting societies back to work

In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, insurance should be a primary mechanism for many people across the world to cope. Instead, the limited penetration of insurance products in developing countries has pushed insurance to the periphery. However, all is not lost. Insurers still have a key role to play

26 May, 2020