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Financial Inclusion and Welfare in South Africa: Is there a Gender Gap?

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  • Elizabeth Lwanga Nanziri

    (Elizabeth Lwanga Nanziri, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, UK)

Abstract

Arguments on whether there is a gender gap in access to finance remain inconclusive. The welfare benefits of access to finance have also not been confirmed. This paper investigates whether there is a statistically significant difference between the welfare of financially included men and women, and of financially included women and their excluded counterparts. Using a pooled dataset on financial access in South Africa, we find that women mainly use formal transactional products and informal financial mechanisms, while men mainly use formal credit, insurance, and savings products. Despite this pattern in the use of financial products, a quantile regression analysis shows that there is no statistically significant difference between the welfare of financially included men and women. There is a significant difference, however, between the welfare of financially included women and their excluded female counterparts. Women using non-formal credit and insurance products exhibit higher welfare in the lower end of the welfare distribution. An Oaxaca-Blinder type decomposition shows that welfare differences are mainly accounted for by race, education, income, and, marginally, marital status. Estimates of the average treatment effect suggest a causal relationship between financial inclusion and higher welfare. The mechanism is through the accumulation of durable items following use of formal financial services.

Suggested Citation

  • Elizabeth Lwanga Nanziri, 2016. "Financial Inclusion and Welfare in South Africa: Is there a Gender Gap?," Journal of African Development, African Finance and Economic Association (AFEA), vol. 18(2), pages 109-134.
  • Handle: RePEc:afe:journl:v:18:y:2016:i:2:p:109-134
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    Cited by:

    1. Simplice Asongu & Nicholas Odhiambo, 2018. "Doing business and inclusive human development in Sub-Saharan Africa," African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 10(1), pages 2-16, September.
    2. Wandeda, Dickson Onyango & Poulard, Denise & Kipkorir, Kemboi Michael & Ikiriinya, Caroline Kinya & Lentimalei, John West & Michael, Karanja & Loyapan, Peter Epukon & Ntutu, Jemimmah, 2023. "Digital Financial Inclusion and Financial Health in Kenya: Gendered Analysis," African Journal of Economic Review, African Journal of Economic Review, vol. 11(3), June.
    3. Weidong Chen & Xiaohui Yuan, 2021. "Financial inclusion in China: an overview," Frontiers of Business Research in China, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 1-21, December.
    4. Hyung Baek Lim & Chulwoo Kim, 2020. "The failure of a rural development project: South Korean official development assistance in the Democratic Republic of the Congo," Asian Journal of Agriculture and rural Development, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 10(1), pages 259-269, June.
    5. Regean Mugume & Enock W. N. Bulime, 2022. "Post‐COVID‐19 recovery for African economies: Lessons for digital financial inclusion from Kenya and Uganda," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 34(S1), pages 161-176, July.
    6. Shahid Manzoor Shah & Amjad Ali, 2022. "A Survey on Financial Inclusion: Theoretical and Empirical Literature Review," Journal of Policy Research (JPR), Research Foundation for Humanity (RFH), vol. 8(4), pages 310-330, December.
    7. von Fintel, Dieter & Orthofer, Anna, 2020. "Wealth inequality and financial inclusion: Evidence from South African tax and survey records," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 568-578.
    8. Ozili, Peterson K, 2020. "Financial inclusion research around the world: a review," MPRA Paper 101809, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Enerelt Murakami, 2022. "Understanding Financial Inclusion in Mongolia from a Micro Perspective: Is There a Gender Gap?," Working Papers 232, JICA Research Institute.
    10. Conrad Murendo & Gamuchirai Murenje & Pepukai Prince Chivenge & Rumbidzai Mtetwa, 2021. "Financial Inclusion, Nutrition and Socio‐Economic Status Among Rural Households in Guruve and Mount Darwin Districts, Zimbabwe," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(1), pages 86-108, January.
    11. Peterson K. Ozili & David Mhlanga, 2024. "Why is financial inclusion so popular? An analysis of development buzzwords," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(1), pages 231-253, January.
    12. Sorgner, Alina & Bode, Eckhardt & Krieger-Boden, Christiane & Aneja, Urvashi & Coleman, Susan & Mishra, Vidisha & Robb, Alicia M., 2017. "The effects of digitalization on gender equaliy in the G20 economies: Women20 study," Kiel E-Books, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), number 170571.
    13. Chima M. Menyelim & Abiola A. Babajide & Alexander E. Omankhanlen & Benjamin I. Ehikioya, 2021. "Financial Inclusion, Income Inequality and Sustainable Economic Growth in Sub-Saharan African Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-15, February.
    14. Sheng Xu & Michael Asiedu & Nana Adwoa Anokye Effah, 2023. "Inclusive Finance, Gender Inequality, and Sustainable Economic Growth in Africa," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 14(4), pages 4866-4902, December.
    15. Margaret R. Magwedere & Joseph Chisasa & Godfrey Marozva, 2022. "Examining the Causal Relationship between Financial Intermediation and Poverty in Selected Developing Countries," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 12(1), pages 75-84.
    16. Koomson, Isaac & Danquah, Michael, 2021. "Financial inclusion and energy poverty: Empirical evidence from Ghana," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    financial inclusion; gender; informal financial products; welfare; South Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • G20 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - General
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

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