Svotwa, Tendai Douglas, Makanyeza, Charles and Wealth, Eukeria (2023) Exploring digital financial inclusion strategies for urban and rural communities in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. In: Chitimira, Howard and Warikandwa, Tapiwa Victor, (eds.) Financial Inclusion and Digital Transformation Regulatory Practices In Selected SADC Countries Ius Gentium: Perspectives on Law and Justice 106. us Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice (IUSGENT, volume 106), 106 (106). Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp. 161-179. ISBN 978-3031238635; 978-3031238659; 978-3031238628 (doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-23863-5_8)

PDF (Accepted book chapter) 47020_SVOTWA_Exploring_digital_financial_inclusion_strategies_for_urban_and_rural_communities_in_Botswana_Namibia_South_Africa_and_Zimbabwe.pdf - Accepted Version Restricted to Repository staff only until 30 March 2025. Download (373kB) | Request a copy

Abstract

This chapter explores digital financial inclusion strategies for rural and urban communities in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Financial inclusion has taken centre stage in academic discourses due to its criticality in enhancing socio-economic development. Digital financial services refer to services that are made available through mobile phones and the internet. The World Bank indicates that in developing countries, more households own mobile phones as compared to those who access water and electricity which highlights high mobile penetration rates in developing countries. Digital financial services are key in enhancing financial inclusion, by including the previously marginalised people into the formal financial system. Statistics reveal that more than 60 percent of the global population now has access to digital financial services hence regulators and policymakers must focus on this burgeoning issue. Huge disparities are evident in the levels of digital financial inclusion between the rural and urban communities for the countries under study, largely because of the marginalisation of rural communities and their depressed spending patterns. Proposed digital financial strategies should, therefore, address this anomaly and include the rural communities into the manifold of digital services to ameliorate the vagaries of poverty rampant in rural communities.

Item Type:	Book Section
Uncontrolled Keywords:	financial inclusion; financial exclusion; digital services; digital financial inclusion
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory H Social Sciences > HJ Public Finance
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Business
Last Modified:	14 May 2024 10:27
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/47020

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