Centre for African Fintech, Innovation & Law (CAFIL) About CAFIL
CENTRE FOR AFRICAN FINTECH, INNOVATION AND LAW (CAFIL)
The Centre for African Fintech, Innovation and Law (CAFIL) is a research intensive and postgraduate teaching centre focused on how policy, law and regulation have responded and should respond to financial technology (Fintech), Innovation and Data as broadly construed, particularly within the context of the African continent. The Centre also works on how these fields intersect with issues of sustainable development, climate and environment, digital trade, migration and mobility, financial crime and cybercrime, as well as broader questions of digital transformation and the digital economy. It adopts an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach in engaging with these areas, with an emphasis on producing scholarship and delivering postgraduate teaching that address real-world challenges in Africa’s digital transformation journey and its burgeoning digital economy.What the centre does
The Centre works across research, teaching and policy engagement in its key area of focus. Its activities include:These modules are:
- Conducting research to inform policy, legal and regulatory reforms
- Tracking and analysing policy, legal and regulatory developments
- Delivering postgraduate and continuing education programmes
- Supervising master’s and doctoral research
- Providing legal support to Fintech startups, innovators and data-driven ventures
- Building partnerships with universities, regulators, think tanks and other
- industry actors
- Hosting seminars, workshops and dialogues
Operational Hubs
The Centre’s work is carried out through three dedicated Hubs. These include:- Fintech Law and Regulation Hub, which focuses on the policy, legal and regulatory issues relating to technology-driven financial innovations and digital financial services broadly.
- Innovation and Data Law Hub, which addresses broader legal questions around digital innovation, data governance, privacy, and emerging technologies across sectors.
- Special Projects Hub, which hosts targeted initiatives such as the Entrepreneurial Law Clinic, research on Fintech and migration, and other cross-cutting projects that link innovation,
- law and development priorities.
Watch: Prof Lawack talks about the Postgraduate Diploma in Fintech Law and Regulation and the launch of the Centre on 30 October 2025:
To provide cutting-edge research, education, policy engagement and thought leadership on Fintech, Innovation and Law, supporting the development of a robust, sustainable and inclusive digital ecosystem in South Africa and the rest of Africa.
To become the leading research-intensive centre in Fintech, Innovation and Law in Africa, recognised globally as a centre of excellence with innovative and critically engaged scholarship that has a societal impact.
Location and collaboration
The Centre is housed within the Faculty of Law at the University of the Western Cape. Its work spans across Africa and the broader Global South, while also drawing on developments from the Global North. Through research, teaching, policy engagement and strategic partnerships, the Centre is positioned to contribute to building sustainable, inclusive and sound legal foundations for Africa’s digital transformation and economy.To learn more about what we are doing and to explore collaboration opportunities, please contact:
Prof. Vivienne Lawack
Email: infocafil@uwc.ac.za
