The Fellowship
The Bridgforte Summer Research Fellowship develops the next generation of policy researchers through practitioner-led, policy-relevant research. Each summer, the Centre appoints a Research Fellow drawn from advanced master’s students, doctoral candidates and early-career researchers. They take a scoped area of inquiry within financial sector development, governance and inclusion in Africa and develop it into rigorous, evidence-based insight.
Working closely with the Founder, the Fellow produces structured insight briefs, undertakes comparative analysis across jurisdictions and institutions, and prepares briefing inputs for selected Bridgforte convenings, including the Trust Lab. The Fellowship reflects Bridgforte’s conviction that questions of coordination, reliability and public confidence are central to whether Africa’s financial systems earn and sustain trust - and that the researchers closest to these questions should help shape the answers.
Kudakwashe Chipunza
Fellow
Kudakwashe Joshua Chipunza is an early-career researcher who holds a doctorate in development finance from the University of Stellenbosch and a Master of Finance (cum laude) from the University of KwaZulu Natal. His research interests span financial inclusion, fintech, household welfare, and climate finance.
Dr Chipunza previously served as a research fellow at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and postdoctoral fellow at the University of Fort Hare. His published scholarly work has been presented at several international academic conferences including the World Finance Conference and Africa Economics Conference.
He is passionate about interventions that enhance household welfare of vulnerable groups through increasing access to financial markets.
Meet our Fellow
