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Technology and Innovation


Technology and innovation is changing the nature of financial markets. Innovation can create opportunities, enhance efficiencies, increase competition, drive scale, and improve the reach and value of financial products and services to consumers. However, with innovation also comes risk.

Much attention is currently placed on the development of new technologies, business models and on creating the regulatory space for these models to encourage and facilitate innovation whilst protecting consumers to support both market development and consumer protection.

Our work explores the benefits and risks of technology and innovation across Africa and Latin America. We work to understand, map and support the various drivers for inclusive innovation, including the development of sustainable and welfare-enhancing products.

The Latest in Technology and Innovation

Un-networked retailers: A growing channel for financial services distribution?
Agent networks are critical for expanding access to financial services in developing countries. They enable providers to offer viable cost-effective [...]
Mapping potential financial services distribution channels in SADC
Access to financial services is a challenge in SADC, where there is limited infrastructure and a largely rural population. Ordinary distribution [...]
Designing mobile microinsurance products
Increasingly, the mobile phone is being used throughout the microinsurance value chain to enable access to insurance for millions of people who [...]
Understanding retailers’ motivation for providing financial products and services in South Africa
A number of financial products and services are offered by or through retailers in South Africa. This spans the broad financial services spectrum [...]
The emergence of entry-level bank branches in South Africa
Between 2003 and 2011, the provision of bank accounts in South Africa grew from 30% to 46%. Technology and branchless solutions play key roles in [...]
Beyond sales
New Frontiers in Microinsurance Distribution The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Microinsurance Innovation Facility (MIF) commissioned [...]
Microinsurance innovation in Brazil
These 2011 case studies on microinsurance innovation in Brazil forms part of a series on alternative, innovative microinsurance distribution models. [...]
New frontiers in microinsurance distribution
The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Microinsurance Innovation Facility (MIF) commissioned Cenfri to compare innovative distribution [...]