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.
From 2009 to 2015 the proportion of adults, financially excluded from any financial service, decreased from 63% to 41% in Zambia, which exceeded the Zambian Government‘s national target of 50%. More than 14% of these adults now use mobile money services, whilst the largest growth has been in the use
Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) play a key role in economic development, but they face challenges in accessing finance. In Uganda alone (as in most other sub-Saharan African countries), MSMEs account for approximately 90% of private-sector production, over 80% of manufactured output and 18% of GDP contribution (National Small Business Survey of Uganda, 2015; Ministry of Trade,
The five-year RRI programme is a partnership between FSD Africa and Cenfri. Its aim is to improve welfare and boost investment growth in sub-Saharan Africa. To achieve this, it works to strengthen the integrity and risk management role of the financial sector and to facilitate remittance flows within and into
Learning from the emerging world Earlier this month, we attended the World Bank Group Annual Meetings in Washington D.C. At the meetings, the World Bank and IMF raised key issues around the impact of technology on the decentralisation of the economy and the future of work. It is likely to result in a
Does insurance matter for welfare and growth? Within the microinsurance discourse, the answer to this question is usually considered from the risk mitigation point of view: By helping people to mitigate risk, it makes them more resilient, thereby impacting on household welfare. Then there’s also an intermediation role. By acting as
The third edition of The State of Microinsurance annual journal looks at microinsurance solutions for climate change, focusing on pioneering ideas in the way micro-insurance is being designed and offered, and highlighting key lessons learned from a range of different programmes and initiatives. Published by the Microinsurance Network, this report
Tax credits and employer subsidies are required to make medical schemes affordable for those earning just above tax threshold. Pre-funded health financing mechanisms are important tools that can protect people against the financial risks of health events and provide access to private healthcare. Such protection is especially important in the
Labour unions play a critical role in improving the well-being of their members through promoting their rights in the workplace. As an organising entity with bargaining power, access to a typically low-income membership-base, footprint and in some instances, significant financial resources at their disposal, unions are well placed to facilitate
Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are recognised globally as a major engine of growth and employment creation. Access to finance is their most commonly cited barrier to growth. The IFC estimates that there are between 200 and 245 million formal and informal MSMEs in developing countries that do not
There is much dialogue on the way insurance markets can contribute to poverty reduction by helping low-income individuals to preserve assets and mitigate the effects of financial shocks, thereby reducing vulnerability. There has also been significant effort to promote microinsurance to low-income adults. However, less has been written about the
