As Genesis grows we have sought to ensure that we integrate into a community of ethical development practitioners through becoming a voluntary signatory to the United Nations (UN) Global Compact. These are highlights of our annual Communication on Progress (COP) to the UN Global Compact.

Cloud banking has been hailed as a technological innovation that will enable financial services providers (FSPs) in Africa to extend banking services to approximately 717 million people on the continent who are either underserved or unserved.

Davos 2020 was a turning point for global big business. There were five takeaways that will be important for business going forward. They include stakeholder capitalism as the new orthodoxy to people wanting business to lead to understanding that climate change is a business risk. We unpack them them.

This was one of the key findings of the South Africa in the Digital Age (SADA) process. SADA is an urgent multi-stakeholder initiative to develop a forward-looking digital economy strategy. It is convened by Genesis Analytics in partnership with the Gordon Institute of Business Science and the Pathways for Prosperity Commission at Oxford University.

Cloud banking can provide a much-needed stepping stone to development and prosperity for people throughout Africa. However, both government and business need to acknowledge the opportunity, prepare for it and seize it.

We have grown our presence in West Africa and our offices in Nairobi and London. We are also looking to establish a presence in North America. We’ve been blessed with productive and enjoyable partnerships during the year. Most of all, we’ve been struck by the power of helping our clients seek out the great opportunities that exist amid the surface volatility of what has been a historic year.

Genesis analyst Ndodzo Mawela writes that digital platforms have the potential to create significant opportunities for small and emerging retail businesses in Africa. However, to harness their full potential, special attention needs to be paid to providing affordable and reliable ICT infrastructure.

The Shared Value and Impact practice at Genesis Analytics has been fortunate to work on some interesting and meaningful projects over the past year. We have helped to unlock value across a range of complex problems.

Globally, the financial services sector is being disrupted by the rapid consumer adoption of digital technologies, many of which are provided by non-banking institutions. In Africa, in particular, banks have faced unprecedented disruption due to the success of mobile money and linked digital credit propositions

Following the announcement of the largest potential merger in Kenya’s banking sector in over a decade, Genesis Financial Services Strategy manager in Nairobi Shezaad Sunderji asks whether it is possible for the country’s 45 banks to remain profitable in the current economic context.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used to advance healthcare in high-income countries. Genesis Analytics and Discovery Vitality came together in December 2018 to host their first Technology Salon to discuss its impact in developing countries. 

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.