FSD Africa’s partnership with DFI

This fact sheet describes the partnership between FSD Africa and the Digital Frontiers Institute (DFI) from 2016 to 2021, aimed at closing the digital finance skills gap in low-middle income countries to improve the scale and sustainability of digital payment systems.

• FSD Africa co-funded the operationalisation of the Digital Frontiers Institute (DFI) through a five-year partnership starting in 2016. Along with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, MasterCard Foundation, and Omidyar/Flourish, FSD Africa co-sponsored DFI's pilot period (2016–2017) and Phase 2 (2018–2020).
• The partnership established the Certified Digital Finance Practitioner (CDFP), which is certified by the Fletcher School at Tufts University. The CDFP consists of two foundation courses—the Certificate in Digital Money (CIDM) and Leading Digital Money Markets (LDMM)—and 19 specialisations.
• Between 2016 and 2021, DFI reached over 15,000 professionals, with female course participation at 34.9% and public sector participation at 28.5%. The program achieved an 88% pass rate and distributed $1.7 million in scholarship funding.
• DFI's impact includes the development of 160 knowledge resources and the creation of 22 Communities of Practice (CoPs) across 20 countries. These efforts contributed to the development of 47 DFS regulations, policies, or directives.
• The partnership is evolving toward the creation of the Alliance of Digital Finance Associations, launching in 2021. This body aims to support national associations of digital finance professionals and provide a global stage for their expertise.

APA

FSD Africa (n.d.). FSD Africa’s partnership with DFI. https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/FSDA-DFI-infographic-20.09.21.pdf

Chicago

FSD Africa. FSD Africa’s partnership with DFI. n.d. https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/FSDA-DFI-infographic-20.09.21.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=FSD Africa |title=FSD Africa’s partnership with DFI |url=https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/FSDA-DFI-infographic-20.09.21.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fsdafricandfsd, author = {{FSD Africa}}, title = {{FSD Africa’s partnership with DFI}}, institution = {FSD Africa}, url = {https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/FSDA-DFI-infographic-20.09.21.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }