An evaluation of the impediments to financial inclusion within the informal sector, case of Glen View Furniture Complex, Harare, Zimbabwe

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study sought to evaluate the impediments to financial inclusion of the informal sector and recommend strategies to overcome these impediments. The objectives of this study were to investigate the impediments to financial inclusion for the informal sector in Zimbabwe, to evaluate the extent to which identified impediments hinder financial inclusion as well as to recommend strategies that policy makers and other stakeholders can adopt to eradicate challenges of financial inclusion in the informal sector.The study builds on previous work that has unpacked the barriers to financial inclusion but has not evaluated the extent to which each of these impact the process. A deductive approach was employed to randomly select 100 informal traders at the prominent Glen View informal traders’ hub in Zimbabwe. The study focused on the informal sector in light of the increased informalisation of the Zimbabwean economy making the sector a key development factor. The results of the study inform policy makers on strategies needed to attract the thriving informal sector into using formal financial channels. The sector has been noted to have significant financial resources that can immensely contribute to the economy if lured into formality. The significant impediments identified through the study were; financial ineligibility, liquidity crisis, high transaction costs and lack of confidence in the banking sector. These impediments were identified in the context of the informal sector thus making the study a relevant one. The use of quantitative methods enabled the impact and significance of the identified strategies to be established so as to determine the amount of resources that should be dedicated to each challenge.