DRC, 27th January 2022: In partnership with the Central Bank of Congo, we are pleased to announce the winners of the DRC – Innovation & Financial Services Challenge, a competition designed to promote value-creating financial innovation in DR Congo.

Infoset’s “FlexPay POS” was declared the winner in the “Financial Innovation for Economic and Social Development” category, while SIX’s “UFIS” (Unified Financial Identifier System) won in the “Financial Innovation for Solidarity” category, which recognises financial solutions that address the needs of displaced populations, refugees, and host communities in the country.

The winning companies were selected from nearly 100 entries and six finalists, three in each of the two categories. The six finalists each received a grant of US$13,000 for the development of their solution from FSD Africa, a specialist development agency supported by UK aid that works to strengthen financial systems in sub-Saharan Africa. The finalists also had access to support from the Central Bank of Congo to address regulatory issues, in addition to technical assistance from 19 contributors, business associations, consultancies, lawyers and experts.

Innovation is essential to ensure democratic access to financial services. That is why we congratulate the winners and wish them every success. We were particularly honoured to be part of this unique initiative and would like to thank all the candidates for their participation, all the contributors whose time, resources and expertise enabled the finalists to work in the best possible conditions, as well as all the members of the juries for their availability and their indispensable contribution.
Henri Plessers, DRC Country Representative