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
INFOGRAPHIC : Is the Global Financial Architecture Finally Catching up with Africa’s Economic Resilience?
In June, the World Bank released its latest Global Economic Prospects report, projecting that the 2020s could become a lost decade for dozens of developing
EXPERT VIEW: Rethinking the Low-Income Country Debt Sustainability Framework
Development Reimagined has submitted a formal response to the World Bank and IMF’s consultation on the Low-Income Country Debt Sustainability Framework (LIC-DSF), arguing that while
EXPERT VIEW: Rethinking Moody’s MDB rating methodology
In March 2026, Development Reimagined submitted a formal response to Moody’s Request for Comment on its proposed methodology update for Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and
REPORT: The Africa Disagreement Tax
As debates around Africa’s cost of capital, sovereign risk perceptions and global financial reform continue to grow, questions are increasingly being raised about the role
INFOGRAPHIC: How Can Innovative Finance Restructure African Development?
Africa’s development journey is guided by two major frameworks: the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Yet financing remains
EVENT: Shaping Africa’s Credit Risk Narrative
On 14 April 2026, Development Reimagined co-convened a high-level side event, “Beyond Financial Indicators: The Narrative Premium in African Credit Risk,” during the IMF–World Bank
EVENT: Development Reimagined at the 2026 IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings
This past week, global development leaders, experts, and policymakers convened in Washington DC for the annual World Bank Group and IMF Spring Meetings (13th –17th
EVENT: Advancing the Operationalization of the African Monetary Institute
On the 15th of April 2026, on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings, Development Reimagined, in collaboration with the African Union
INFOGRAPHIC: The BWIs at 80: Who Holds the Power, and How to Rebalance for Africa?
In 1944, representatives of 44 nations convened in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, to shape the post-war international monetary and financial order. Only 4 African nations
POLICY BRIEF: Financing Africa’s Future: The Untapped Potential of Non-Traditional Bonds
Africa faces a significant financing gap in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2063. The African Development Bank estimates an annual infrastructure need
INFOGRAPHIC: What does the Upcoming African Development Fund (ADF) 17th Replenishment Mean for the Continent?
As the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) concessional financing arm, the African Development Fund (ADF) has been a cornerstone of Africa’s progress for over 50 years,
POLICY BRIEF: Strengthening Africa’s Multilateral Financial Institutions for Sustainable Development and Growth
Africa receives a disproportionately small share of global development finance, accounting for just 2% of global public debt and approximately 7% of all developing country
EVENT: APRM-DR MoU Signing: Strengthening African-Led Governance and Financial Architecture
[September 2025] On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Development Reimagined (DR) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the African Peer
INFOGRAPHIC: Unlocking Private Sector Climate Finance in Africa: Gaps and Opportunities
It’s no secret that African countries face the brunt of climate change, despite having contributed the least to global emissions. Indeed, as Climate watch highlights
Infographic: Reimagining the World Bank: A Call for Equity in Global Governance
The World Bank, founded in the post–World War II era when many current members were still under colonial rule, faces a growing legitimacy crisis. Its
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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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