Development Finance
REIMAGINING GLOBAL FINANCE TO MEET BORROWER NEEDS
The analysis we have conducted at Development Reimagined is very clear: the International Finance System (IFS) needs to be reimagined and redesigned to center borrowers, providing significantly more fair and concessional finance for low-income and middle-income countries to fund their growth and achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
We are a consultancy team that focuses on opportunity as much as risk. Our team provides expert development finance analysis, including on debt levels, loans, trade, financing gaps, investment and much more, as well as innovative ideas for raising more and higher quality finance. We’ve produced multiple flagship reports, including a handbook with Options for Reimagining Africa’s Debt System, as well as forecasting analysis of infrastructure needs for African countries across the continent.
Our data-driven analysis forms the basis of strategic and operational support and recommendations to governments, private sector and the public on sovereign debt, foreign direct investment and the IFS. We also specialize in providing this support in a coordinated way (i.e., across several borrowers) to enable borrowers to learn from each other and devise sustainable and effective strategies for engaging creditors.
Reimagining the international financial system of tomorrow
meet Our expert lead
JADE SCARFE
Jade is a Project Manager for Development Reimagined’s flagship project Africa Unconstrained, which focuses on financing needs and debt vulnerabilities of African countries. Her research focuses on China-Africa development finance alongside debt vulnerabilities, infrastructure needs and South-South cooperation. She has worked with a breadth of stakeholders from China, Africa and the wider international community, including governments, private sector, NGOs and civil society. Her writing has appeared in a number of publications, including The Africa Report, The China-Africa Project, The Diplomat and more. Jade holds a Master’s in China and Globalisation studies from King’s College London.
What we do
Keeping you one step ahead of development finance trends
We convene regular and impactful dialogues between African diplomats, policy-makers and businesspeople in different countries and settings – particularly African organizations on the ground in China – and we are proud to support African organizations in developing SDG-related or Agenda 2063-aligned partnerships in China (and vice versa).
We provide expert tailored advice and strategic recommendations for governments, the private sector and financial organizations (including multilateral development banks) to promote SDG-friendly economic growth and to secure or disburse high-quality grants, loans and investment projects and portfolios.
Elevating the impact of your development finance projects
Connecting you with powerful and reliable development partners
From invite-only, closed-door discussions to large-scale, public events, we organize online and hybrid events to bring diverse partners together to review today’s development finance challenges, propose forward-thinking solutions and coordinate next steps.
We offer professional coordination services to bring together high-level stakeholders from Africa, China and across the world to find innovative solutions to development finance challenges, while exploring areas of long-term collaboration for new financial opportunities.
Bringing together vital perspectives and uncommon wisdom
How we can help you
Sound Strategic Advice
Whether you’re aiming to get more out of your relationship with African and Chinese stakeholders, identify and mitigate geopolitical risks, or design and assess an aid project or loan, we have the experience to help you develop deep, data-driven, and truly sustainable strategic plans. As an independent, African-led consultancy with industry-leading expertise on African economies as well as China’s development, we work with private companies, government agencies, and international organizations of all sizes. Our clients on development finance matters include United Nations agencies, leading Chinese enterprises, European development agencies, and African government ministries.
Evidence-Based Analysis
Backed by data, our analyses simplify seemingly complex development finance topics that are often misunderstood or presented at surface level. We combine our 50+ years of experience, extensive in-house databases on development finance projects, and an unrivaled expert network of key African, Chinese, and European decision-makers to produce industry-leading research on all dimensions and vehicles of development finance, including loans, investment, grants, ESG risks and opportunities, and geopolitical or sociocultural analysis. We bring a unique perspective and deep data-driven insights to elevate the reach and impact of your development finance project.
BROWSE OUR WORK ON DEVELOPMENT FINANCE
What does Africa’s Eurobonds mean for future debt levels and finance?
Almost 30 years ago, South Africa became the first African country to issue a Eurobond – a bond issued in a currency different from the
Event: African Leaders Say The African Credit Rating Agency Will Help Shift The Global Financial Architecture In Africa’s Favour
20 September 2024 On the eve of the United Nations (UN) Summit of the Future in New York, a group of leading African organisations –
Infographic: Do African Countries have enough access to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)?
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) is the lending arm of the World Bank Group for middle-income and “credit-worthy” low-income countries – meaning
Event: Building Bridges – Collaboration for Growth Between China and African Multilateral Financial Institutions (AMFIs)
Beijing, China, 7th September 2024. On September 7th, the Alliance for African Multilateral Financial Institutions (AAMFI) and the African Union (AU), with the support of
Policy Briefs: Empowering Africa in the G20 – Three Proposals for Equitable Global Financial Reforms
In an evolving global economy, it is critical to reimagine the global financial architecture (GFA) that can constrain the future of low- and low-middle-income countries.
Infographic: How Frequently Have African Countries Accessed IDA Compared to the Rest of the World?
The International Development Association (IDA) is the concessional lending arm of the World Bank Group. IDA has the potential to be a key financing instrument
Event: “Reimagining the World Bank’s IDA for Africa – Going Beyond the Replenishment.”
On Thursday, 13th June, Development Reimagined hosted an event titled “Reimagining the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) for Africa – Going Beyond the Replenishment.”
Infographic: Is the World Bank’s IDA working for African Interests?
Back in December 2023, World Bank President, Mr Ajay Banga, called for the replenishment of the International Development Association (IDA) to be the “largest of
Event: How Should Africa Reimagine Debt and Development Finance?
On Tuesday May 24, 2024, Development Reimagined hosted an event “How Should Africa Reimagine Debt and Development Finance?” This event, held as an Official Side
Report: How many Eurobonds does Africa have and how might it impact their budgets in the future?
As of August 2023, 19 African countries had 91 active, US$-denominated Eurobonds. With a final debt repayment date of September 2061, the values of annual
Event: US-Africa Experts Roundtable on the future of AGOA and financing
On Tuesday 16th April, on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings, Development Reimagined (DR) and the Center for Global Development (CGD) co-hosted a
Event: Reimagining The Global Debt Relief System For African Interests – What Concrete Ideas?
By Development Reimagined and the African Union. On 17th April, on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings, Development Reimagined and the African Union,
Event: Reimagining the IMF Quota System for Africa
During the 2024 World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington DC, the Development Reimagined team hosted a panel discussion with Boston University’s Global Development Policy Center
Infographic: Are African countries too dependent on the IMF?
Although the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is known as a “lender of last resort”, according to its own statements it is much more. It works
Infographic: Will African countries see growth in 2024 and beyond?
Released in January 2024, the World Bank’s latest Global Economic Prospects (GEP) echoes sentiment from the tail-end of 2023 – that global economic growth remains
Talk to our experts today
Use our work
At Development Reimagined, we’re dedicated to transforming the global conversation on development by expanding the reach of innovative perspectives that put Africa first. Hence, we welcome and permit you to quote, link to, and/or comment on our research reports and visual analytics on your organization’s website or social media posts under the condition that you provide proper attribution including reference to Development Reimagined and a link to the source page on the DR website, for any text, charts, images, or other DR content you use.
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