DFA addresses the conditions that help fintech stakeholders structure their activities and cooperate with the financial ecosystem. Three priorities organise this work, with current services and a development priority focused on research.
The conditions for market development are our shared concern.
Regulatory dialogue and formalisation
A business needs to identify relevant requirements, understand responsibilities attached to its model and direct questions to competent counterparts. DFA gathers shared challenges and brings them into its consultations.
Partnerships and market development
Cooperation between fintechs, banks, mobile money operators and payment networks depends on identifying counterparts and understanding their needs. DFA facilitates introductions and brings these issues into Palabres Fintech.
Research and sector intelligence
Collective decisions improve when discussions draw on identified texts, market observations and use case analysis. Our priority is to organise this knowledge to inform stakeholders and institutional dialogue.
Questions across these priorities
Payment interoperability; bank–fintech cooperation; consent and data sharing in Open Finance; conditions for experimentation; access to services and user protection. Each requires consideration of the framework, technical capabilities and actual use.
Bring industry questions to the right counterparts.
A fintech activity may raise several questions: which framework applies to the proposed service? What responsibilities sit with the business and its partners? Which matters need institutional clarification?
DFA contributes through regulatory consultations and compliance guidance. It helps frame questions, identify relevant references and represent shared concerns in industry dialogue.
To prepare a discussion:
describe your service, the stakeholders involved, the challenge and steps already taken. This helps formulate a precise question and identify the appropriate counterpart.
Identify complementary capabilities before developing a partnership.
An introduction is useful when the need is clear: a use case to explore, a capability to connect, expertise to involve or a partner to identify. DFA facilitates member introductions and provides a place for cross-institution dialogue through Palabres Fintech.
To prepare an introduction:
describe your activity, the type of partner sought and the proposed cooperation. Opportunities depend on each organisation’s interest, capabilities and requirements.
Give collective decisions a stronger evidence base.
Research and sector intelligence are our third priority. The task is to connect institutional texts, stakeholder questions and use cases to better understand market conditions.
Palabres 2025 provides an initial set of questions for further examination: consent and data sharing; interoperability; designing a testing framework; consumer protection; and coordination between financial and digital stakeholders.
Our Resources & Insights space is designed to organise this knowledge and host analysis, expert contributions and official references. Each publication must identify its author, date and status.
Our operating model, in nine blocks.
Discover how DFA connects its partners, activities and resources to value for members. Open the cards to explore each block.
01Key partners
A connected public and private ecosystem.
- Founding members, fintechs, banks and telecom operators
- ARPTC, BCC and relevant ministries
- Development institutions, funders and professional coalitions
- African and international digital finance networks
02Key activities
Represent, train, connect and inform.
- Advocacy and regulatory dialogue
- Onboarding fintechs operating in the DRC
- Capacity building and innovation support
- Monitoring, sector intelligence and networking
03Key resources
Capabilities, knowledge and connections.
- Member expertise and governance resources
- Compliance references, training and industry data
- Development capabilities and technical partnerships
- Association people, tools and resources
04Value proposition
A collective voice and opportunities to grow.
- Collective influence on industry priorities
- National and international networking
- Formalisation support and understanding of applicable frameworks
- Industry knowledge and cooperation for innovation
05Member relationships
Build lasting cooperation.
- Partnerships, coalitions and consultation
- Connections between businesses and institutions
- Working groups on open APIs and interoperability
- Structured discussions on regulatory issues
06Participation channels
Spaces to meet, learn and act.
- Palabres Fintech, conferences and meetings
- Communication, publications and learning materials
- Internal and cross-institution committees
- Association headquarters and governance bodies
07Beneficiaries
Stakeholders developing digital finance.
- Fintechs operating in the DRC
- Related service providers
- Businesses and partners engaged in sector cooperation
- The wider ecosystem and users benefiting from financial inclusion
08Cost structure
Support operations and activities.
- Association operations and coordination
- Events and activities
- Training, research and knowledge production
- Tools, communication and programme monitoring
09Funding sources
A diversified association model.
- Member and founder contributions
- Donations, bequests, grants and fundraising campaigns
- Partnerships and services for businesses
- Capacity building and sector intelligence activities