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A rapid assessment by FSD Africa and FCDO Sudan analyzing the collapse of agri-food and payment systems in Sudan due to ongoing conflict, proposing targeted resilience-building interventions to combat acute food insecurity affecting over 20 million people.

The FSD Africa Data Protection Policy (Version November 2023) establishes the framework for the collection, storage, and processing of personal data to ensure compliance with legal obligations, primarily the Kenya Data Protection Act 2019. The policy applies to all FSD Africa stakeholders, including board members, employees, and grant recipients, and defines the organization's role as a Data Controller.

The FSD Africa Online Privacy Policy (Version November 2023) outlines how Financial Sector Deepening Africa and FSD Africa (Investments) Limited collect, process, and store personal data from website users and consultants. The policy establishes compliance with the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019, and details the types of data collected, the legal bases for processing, and the rights of data subjects.

This research paper by FSD Africa analyzes the integration of gender strategies within the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of 31 African countries. Using the IUCN's Environment and Gender Information (EGI) framework, the study finds that while most African NDCs mention gender, there is a significant lack of gender analysis, sex-disaggregated data, and gender-responsive budgeting. The paper highlights a disconnect between the mobilization of climate finance and gender intentionality, noting that countries with high funding levels often fail to prioritize gender-responsive budgets.

This executive summary describes a study commissioned by MEFMI and supported by FSD Africa that examines the policies and practices countries used to manage public debt and support debt markets during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study focuses on four themes: macroeconomic policy interventions, external financing operations, local currency bond markets, and governance and operational risk management frameworks.

This report examines the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on MEFMI member states in sub-Saharan Africa, detailing how public health measures and external shocks led to GDP declines and increased fiscal pressure.

This text examines the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on developing countries, with a specific focus on the challenges faced by African nations regarding fiscal stability, healthcare access, and vaccination rates.

The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented debt stresses for developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where 16 nations were already at high risk of or in debt distress. Debt managers faced a combination of volatile market conditions, limited fiscal space, and increased operational risks resulting from the transition to remote work.

This case study describes Octavia Carbon, a Kenya-based startup utilizing Direct Air Carbon Capture (DACC) technology to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. The company leverages Kenya's geothermal energy and basaltic rock geology to reduce the costs associated with carbon sequestration and industrial CO2 production.

FSD Africa presents a framework to help countries, particularly in Africa, develop national nature strategies. These strategies are intended to mitigate economic risks from nature loss, align with international commitments like the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and improve climate outcomes. The framework is structured around four components: baseline and ambition, initiatives, instruments, and governance and implementation.

This case study describes the experience of Amani, a South Sudanese refugee in Uganda's Bidi Bidi settlement, who used financial services provided through the Financial Inclusion for Refugees (FI4R) Project to establish a handmade crafts business and mentor other refugees.

The Environmental and Social Performance Management Systems (ESPM) Manual, published by FSD Africa in May 2023, establishes the procedures for implementing the organization's Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) and Impact Policy. It provides a risk-based framework for integrating environmental, social, and impact (ES&I) considerations across the entire lifecycle of grant funding and risk capital investments in sub-Saharan Africa. The manual details specific screening, due diligence, monitoring, and reporting requirements for grantees and investees, with a specialized Gender Lens Investing (GLI) framework for the FSD Africa Investments (FSDAi) pillar.

This case study describes the Jasiri Gender Bond, a financial instrument launched in February 2022 to stimulate economic growth and empower women-led businesses in Tanzania. It highlights the bond's financial performance, its role in supporting women in both traditional and male-dominated sectors, and provides a specific example of a business, High Quality Tanzania, that scaled its operations using Jasiri loans.

The Jasiri Gender Bond is an innovative financial instrument launched by NMB Bank in Tanzania to provide capital and resources to women-led SMEs and MSMEs, bridging the gender finance gap through inclusive capital market mechanisms.

This case study describes the impact of the Jasiri Gender Bond in Tanzania, focusing on its role in empowering women entrepreneurs and the specific growth of Maggy Dress-Up, a plus-size clothing business.

This case study describes the impact of the Jasiri Gender Bond, launched in February 2022, on women entrepreneurs in Tanzania, specifically highlighting the expansion of Mkajungu Hardware.

This report, commissioned by FSD Africa and authored by Strategic Impact Advisors (SIA), provides recommendations for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and other humanitarian actors to enhance the use of digital financial services (DFS) and mobile money for cash transfers in Sudan. The analysis identifies supply-side barriers, such as the lack of agent networks and KYC document recognition, and demand-side barriers, including low digital capability among women and the high cost of handsets.

This report provides an overview of the insurance sector in Ethiopia, detailing the impact of 1990s liberalisation, the current state of market penetration, and the barriers hindering insurance innovation and retail reach.

The Rabobank Acorn Agroforestry Carbon Programme, supported by FSD Africa, utilizes a technology-enabled marketplace for carbon sequestration to provide financial sustainability for smallholder farmers in Africa transitioning to agroforestry. The program leverages carbon credits as Payment for Ecological Services (PES) to monetize natural capital, with pilot phase activities including the disbursement of carbon loans and technical training in Zambia, Kenya, and Nigeria.

The Africa Private Equity and Debt Programme, running from November 2020 to March 2025, is a pan-African initiative by FSD Africa designed to increase the availability of long-term financing for social and economic sectors by mobilising private equity and debt capital, specifically targeting increased participation from local institutional investors like pension funds.