The Central Bank of Nigeria has published new bank regulations that may allow mobile network operators (MNOs) to establish payment service banks allowing them to provide mobile money services for the first time.

At Genesis, which turned 20 this year, we are dedicating our next decade to the future of young Africans. These young people, measuring around 500 million over time, will build their lives in a hyper-technological world whilst managing the impact of climate change. 

Despite their generally weakened financial positions, several African governments are once again flirting with the idea of establishing dedicated SME banks. But is creating dedicated ‘banks’ for SMEs the right strategy?

On behalf of the CEOs’ Initiative, Standard Bank asked Genesis Analytics to prepare a joint Action Plan to bring business and government together to address the decline of the Vaal Region and prevent it from becoming the “rust belt” of South Africa. Last week, the CEO Initiative delivered the report and regeneration action plan to President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Minister of Finance, Tito Mboweni. 

When a market has adopted a payment standard, a huge marketing effort is required to shift consumer behaviour. Can mVisa tip the scale of retail payments back in favour of Kenyan banks? Genesis associate Tom Magara looks at the experience of mVisa.

The Portfolio Committee for Economic Development approved further amendments to the SA Competition Amendment Bill this week. Our Competition and Regulatory Economics practice has participated closely in the debates over the Bill. The Bill will now be placed before the National Assembly for a vote before heading to the National Council of Provinces.

In the next 20 years, the number of people aged 15-24 in sub-Saharan Africa will increase by a 100 million. Genesis works in many of the critical areas in which the prospects for this generation of young people will be determined, including health, agriculture, communications, financial services and youth economic empowerment. This newsletter presents some of our current work. 

MERL Tech, which has been successful in London and DC, came to Jozi for the first time. Its purpose was to bring together development practitioners at the intersection of M&E and technology to share and learn how we can, together, tackle the fourth industrial revolution and use technology to do our jobs better.

An impact study of the National Credit Act Amendment Act outlines how the law could backfire on consumers, with some unintended harmful consequences. This is a copy of the Financial Mail report (which cannot be linked due to their paywall).

Our Agribusiness, Climate Change and Market Development practice works across the design-and-implement project spectrum, combining deep technical expertise with context-specific knowledge and management.

Infrastructure holds the key to development in Africa but there has been limited success in meeting the challenge. At Genesis Analytics we offer the tools and expertise to strengthen infrastructure planning, identify sources of finance and enable project development efficiently and effectively.

Gig work is gradually changing how Kenya’s workforce accesses jobs, and shifting the access of work opportunities from informal to digital platforms. But where does it leave 15-34 year-olds, who account for 84% of the unemployed in Kenya?

Stephan Malherbe, CEO of Genesis Analytics and co-director of South Africa in the Digital Age (SADA), attended the 2019 World Economic Forum in Cape Town to participate in a panel on the impact of the 4IR on South Africa. This is an opinion piece he wrote before the event.

Our Shared Value and Impact practice works where markets, government and society collide. As the world searches for a more inclusive capitalism, the best companies are able to articulate their social purpose, measure social impact, use commercial models to create shared value, contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, and navigate a robust yet constructive relationship with the state.

We work with our clients to develop solutions aimed at improving the health of populations throughout sub-Saharan Africa. We provide experts with decades of experience in the design, implementation, costing and evaluation of health programmes and strengthening of health systems.

Zimbabwe has faced headwinds over the past decade resulting in a collapse of the economy. Following the political transition of November 2017, the new government requested the African Development Bank to update the 2011 Zimbabwe Infrastructure Flagship Report, so as to aid in investment planning as part of the vision 2030