Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Microfinance institutions – Africa'

Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The approach to offering financial services to the poor has evolved over the past decades. The microfinance schism between the two paradigms, institutionist and welfarist, has yet to be narrowed by evidence of greater success of the one over the other. The drive for commercialisation of microfinance institutions has spurred many crises across the globe and the validity of the argument that commercial microfinance is more sustainable has come under scrutiny. This research report dissects the sustainability of African Bank and Capitec, two commercial microfinance institutions. Accounting ratios are applied to the audited financial data of both microfinance institutions to measure their sustainability from 2007 up to their most recent audited results. The research has found that both microfinance institutions experienced rapid growth since 2007, primarily driven by larger average loan sizes over longer terms. The research shows that Capitec has more diverse sources of revenue and depends less on its loan portfolio to generate income than African Bank. It also shows that Capitec has a more conservative approach with regard to provisioning for loans, and is consequently better prepared for loan write-offs than African Bank. Overall, Capitec is found to be more sustainable in each period measured.

Microfinance markets in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have experienced remarkable growth, particularly after the early 2000s. Since microfinance institutions (MFIs) provide financial services such as loans, savings and insurance to poor clients who face exclusion from formal financial institutions, they are considered as one of the most prolific tools to alleviate poverty and achieve financial inclusion in developing countries. These institutions are of particular importance in SSA, given that the region has the highest poverty levels in the world and the highest levels of financial exclusion. However, in recent years the fast loan growth of MFIs has been accompanied increasingly by loan delinquencies which threaten the financial health of these institutions. This is a major concern for policymakers, regulators and practitioners given the developmental importance of microfinance in the region. Despite the pivotal role of microfinance, there is only a very limited number of studies that either investigate the underlying reasons for the fast growth of MFIs or that identify the determinants of credit risk in MFIs in this particular region of Africa. Motivated by both the remarkable loan growth and the rising credit risk that MFIs experienced and the fact that SSA has been neglected in the relevant literature, this thesis provides evidence from the region on the factors that contribute to MFIs’ growth, the determinants of MFIs’ credit risk as well as the factors that influence access to MFIs credit. The latter pays particular attention to the effect of mobile financial services (MFS) on borrowing from MFIs, an aspect that has been ignored in previous scholarly work. Furthermore, the thesis overcomes the limitations of previous studies that employed static regressions, which are limited in dealing with panel endogeneity bias, by focusing on the dynamic aspects of loan growth and credit risk. The thesis is structured around three related studies that are presented in three chapters, namely Chapter 2, Chapter 3 and Chapter 4. The purpose of the second chapter is to identify the factors that explain variations in loan growth in the region’s MFIs. This is an important issue as high loan growth may pose significant stability risks in the microfinance sector via a deterioration in portfolio quality. The chapter applies two-step system generalised method of moments estimators on data for 34 countries in SSA over the period 2004 - 2014. The results show that loan growth is higher in MFIs that have lower risk exposure, higher capital asset ratios and already recording high growth. Similarly, loan growth is higher in countries with better economic prospects, and in those with sound private sector policies and regulations. Against expectations, loan growth is faster in countries with poor legal rights of borrowers and lenders. Credit risk in microfinance institutions in SSA has been rising, and the financial health of these institutions remains an issue of concern. Hence, Chapter 3 examines the factors that explain variations in credit risk in MFIs in the region. Similarly, the chapter employs a system GMM approach on data for 34 countries in SSA over the period 2004 – 2014. Results suggest that the main predictors of credit risk in SSA are lagged credit risk, loan growth, provisions for loan impairment, GDP per capita growth and ease of getting credit. In addition, the study identifies threshold effects in the relationship between credit risk and loan growth. Credit risk falls with loan growth until a trough at 36.8% when this relationship is reversed. On the regional scale, comparisons suggest that credit risk is most persistent in East Asia and the Pacific but least persistent in SSA. Relatively few scholarly works have analysed the influence of mobile financial services (MFS) on access to credit. Chapter 4 aims to identify the factors that explain the differences in the propensity to use loans from MFIs in Kenya, paying particular attention to the effects of mobile money (M-money), mobile banking (M-banking) and mobile credit (M-credit). Kenya is an interesting case study because the country outperforms other SSA countries in terms of financial and digital inclusion. The study applies a probit model using FinAccess cross sectional data that was collected in 2013 (N=6112) and 2015 (N=8665). After addressing endogeneity concerns in the data, the 2013 results suggest that the factors that make a significant difference in the likelihood of using MFI credit include income, gender and type of cluster. An important observation is that non-poor users of M-money are more likely to use microcredit. The 2015 results show that the likelihood of using MFI credit is lower among those using M-banking and M-credit as well as among males and married persons. However, higher income, being educated, higher household size and being located in a rural cluster are associated with a higher propensity to use MFI credit. In addition, the results suggest a Ushaped relationship between age and the probability to use MFI credit. Similarly, the negative relationship between the likelihood of using MFI credit and using M-banking and M-credit suggests that the introduction of MFS in the financial sector has resulted in the migration of clients from microfinance products towards mobile-based financial services. In terms of policy, two recommendations stand out. Firstly, since dynamics matter for both loan growth and credit risk, credit management strategies that incorporate past risk and loan performance are likely to be more effective. Secondly, the evident trade-offs between loan growth and credit risk confirm the fact that modest loan growth is not the source of instability within the region’s microfinance sector. However, the presence of threshold effects suggests that MFIs should determine the turning points for lending growth because excessive growth in loans can be perilous to the existence of the institution itself, and the sector by extension.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The efficiency and availability of financial services for the poor is a global problem, and has only recently started to enjoy attention in South Africa. This dissertation aims to study the problems experienced by the South African microfinance industry, which includes a vast range of financial products. The survey conducted of the South African industry indicates that its makeup is significantly different from the industries in Latin America and Asia. The problems in the industry are prioritised and show the high cost structure to be the most pressing issue. A number of these issues show agreement as expressed by Spearman rank correlation coefficients. Clear trends exist between distinct market-segments in the industry. Tests for differences in location of specific populations indicate significant differences in perceptions regarding these segments. The government's recent suggestion to unify the financial service regulators into a mega-regulator is based on the assumption that the microcredit and commercial credit industries share the same priorities and problems. The very low Spearman rank correlation coefficient found in this study, on the other hand, seems to indicate that no reason exists to assume the priorities are the same at the two levels. Finally, it is shown by means of a "best practice matrix", that solutions to most problems can be found, but that the fit is dependent on a large number of variables.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die beskikbaarheid van finansiële dienste vir armes is 'n wêreldwye probleem, en het eers onlangs meer aandag in Suid Afrika begin geniet. Hierdie studie fokus op die probleme wat ervaar word in die mikrokrediet (mikrolenings) industrie. Die opname toon dat die Suid-Afrikaanse industrie beduidend verskil in samestelling van die ooreenstemmende industrieë in Suid-Amerika en Asië. Die probleme in die industrie is geprioritiseer en toon dat die hoë koste-struktuur die grootste probleem is. Sekere kwelpunte toon ooreenstemming, uitgedruk by wyse van Spearman se rangkorrelasie-koëffesiënt. Duidelike tendense bestaan tussen onderskeie mark-segmente in die industrie. Toetse vir ooreenstemming in die ligging van sekere populasies toon beduidende verskille in persepsies rakende hierdie segmente. Die regering se onlangse voorstel om die beheer-liggame van finansiële dienste saam te snoer in een liggaam is gebaseer op die aanname dat die mikrokrediet en kommersiële krediet industrië dieselfde probleme en prioriteite deel. Die baie lae Spearman rangkorrelasie-koëffisiënt impliseer egter dat daar geen grondige rede bestaan om aan te neem dat die prioriteite dieselfde is vir die twee vlakke nie. Laastens word beste praktyke aangedui in die vorm van 'n "beste praktyk matriks". Oplossings vir byna alle probleme kan gevind word, maar die toepaslikheid is afhanklik van 'n wye verskeidenheid veranderlikes.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2009.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Globally microfinance is recognised as an important tool in addressing poverty and in building the assets of poor people. Housing microfinance is emerging as an important tool for assisting poor people to improve their housing conditions and to build their asset values. However, microfinancial institutions are perpetually dogged by small scale financially unviable operations. This study seeks to identify the factors that must be present to ensure that a microfinance initiative is able to scale up significantly, and further investigates the Kuyasa Fund as an example of a microfinance organisation that is scaling up. The McKinsey 7S model is used to evaluate the Kuyasa Fund’s plans for scaling up and the shared values, strategy, structure, skills, staffing requirements, style and systems of the Kuyasa Fund is examined in determining the scalability of the Kuyasa Fund. Overall Kuyasa have either already addressed the critical factors in determining its growth or it is in the process of addressing those factors. The biggest strengths of the Kuyasa Fund in its growth plans are the cohesive strategy and in the compelling strategic intent that represents its shared values. However in the medium and long term the greatest challenge is located in the long-term financing and transformation of the Kuyasa Fund from a non-profit to a for-profit entity that has equity shareholders. In achieving this transformation Kuyasa would be required to balance its development objectives with the requirements of equity holders, who will require prescribed rates of return. Preventing mission drifts and achieving scale will be the most important tensions to balance. To mitigate these risks and to set clear guidelines for its operations, the Kuyasa board developed clear criteria for the evaluation of equity partners and the board also set a trajectory for the transformation of Kuyasa to a company. The intention of these is to guide the Kuyasa operation towards the milestones that must be reached before conversion and to set the criteria to select partners. The Kuyasa Fund’s path to conversion from a small niche player limited to one province to a national role player, transformed into an equity holding company will present interesting material for learning about scaling up development efforts, and not just for microfinance.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Mikrofinansiering word wêreldwyd erken as ‘n belangrike hulpmiddel in die stryd teen armoede en in die bou van bates vir arm mense. Behuising-mikrofinansiering is besig om as ‘n belangrike instrument na vore te tree om arm mense te help om hul behuisingsomstandighede te verbeter en hul batewaarde op te bou. Mikrofinansieringsinstansies word egter aanhoudend lastig geval deur kleinskaalse besighede wat nie finansieel lewensvatbaar is nie. Hierdie studie poog om die faktore te identifiseer wat teenwoordig moet wees om te verseker dat ‘n mikrofinasieringsinisiatief beduidend kan uitbrei en ondersoek verder die Kuyasa Fund as ‘n voorbeeld van ‘n mikrofinansieringsorganisasie wat tans uitbrei. Die McKinsey 7S-model word gebruik om die Kuyasa Fund se planne vir uitbreiding te evalueer. Die Kuyasa Fund se gedeelde waardes, strategie, struktuur, vaardighede, personeelvereistes, styl en stelsels word ondersoek om die uitbreidingsmoontlikhede van die fonds te bepaal. Oorhoofs het Kuyasa alreeds die kritiese faktore aangespreek wat hul groei bepaal of hulle is in die proses om hierdie faktore aan te spreek. Die grootste sterkpunte van die Kuyasa Fund se uitbreidingsplanne lê in die samehangende strategie en in die gebiedende strategiese rigting wat sy gedeelde waardes verteenwoordig. In die medium- tot langtermyn is die grootste uitdaging geleë in die langtermyn-finansiering en transformasie van die Kuyasa Fund van ‘n niewinsgewende tot ‘n winsgewende entiteit met ekwiteitsaandeelhouers. Ten einde hierdie transformasie deur te gaan, sal van Kuyasa vereis word om sy ontwikkelingsdoelwitte te balanseer met die vereistes van die aandeelhouers, wat hul eie opbrengskoerse sal vereis. Om koersvas hul missie na te streef teenoor die beplande uitbreiding te behaal sal die belangrikste spannings wees om te balanseer. Ten einde hierdie risiko’s te beperk en duidelike riglyne daar te stel vir sy bedrywighede, het die Kuyasa raad duidelike kriteria ontwikkel om ekwiteitsvennote te evalueer. Die raad het ook ‘n vorderingsplan bepaal vir die transformasie van Kuyasa tot ‘n maatskappy. Die bedoeling hiervan is om die Kuyasa bedryf te lei op die pad na mylpale wat bereik moet word voordat omskakeling kan plaasvind en om kriteria daar te stel om vennote te kies. Die Kuyasa Fund se pad na omskakeling van ‘n klein niche speler, beperk tot een provinsie, tot ‘n nasionale rolspeler, wat getransformeer het tot ‘n ekwiteitsmaaskappy sal interessante leergeleenthede bied oor die uitbreiding van ontwikkelingsmaatskappye en nie net op die gebied van mikrofinansiering nie.

The rise of microfinance in South Africa as a development trajectory has dismissed ideas that small business enterprises have no significant contribution to the economic growth and development of the country. The primary objective of the study is to assess the impact of microfinance service providers on the success and sustainability of small business enterprises in the Nelson Mandela Bay. By applying descriptive statistics, 2 ordinary least square regression analyses as well as correlation matrix; the results reveal that microfinance has a positive and significant impact on the success and sustainability on small business enterprises in the Nelson Mandela Bay. The research findings hold a variety of implications for Government and policymakers. The study recommends that the microfinance sector must be under good governance through the microfinance regulatory and supervisory structures, since the sector contributes a great deal towards one of the most important objectives of the Post-Apartheid Government. Further, small business entrepreneurs must be well exposed to the requirements, standards and norms which govern the financial sector. This is particularly important in terms of the National Credit Act provisions.

The current research examines organisational trust in three Sub-Saharan African countries. The study seeks to investigate organisational trust’s relationship with desirable workplace outcomes. The sample surveyed 423 loan officers and loan officer supervisors across 22 different microfinance institutions in Tanzania, Zambia, and Uganda. Relationships between two different referents of supervisor and top management trustworthiness perceptions and organisational trust attitudes were examined with organisation commitment as an attitude mediator on intention to quit and behaviour variables in-role behaviour and organisational citizenship behaviour. The contribution of the research involves testing the frequently quoted but less often used Gillespie (2003) reliance and disclosure measures of organisational trust in both an industry and countries that organisational trust research never previously occurred. Inasmuch, the study tests the models in the microfinance industry in Zambia, Tanzania, and Uganda examined through the confirmatory factor analysis of structural equation modeling of the structural model. The study supports existing knowledge that trustworthiness perceptions in top management do relate positively with organisational trust, but also finds several differences in relationships between variables compared to previous studies conducted in North America, Europe, and Asia. The research finds that the Mayer, Allen et al. (1995) trustworthiness measures have mixed relationships to organisational trust in contrast with previous studies. Perceptions of supervisor ability have no significant relationship with reliance and actually hold a negative relationship with disclosure. Benevolence perceptions relate significantly and positively only with disclosure and not reliance while integrity relates strongly with both reliance and disclosure. Employee intentions to rely on both supervisors and top management relate positively and strongly with organisation commitment, but disclosure and organisation commitment possess no significant relationship. Organisation commitment relates positively and significantly with in-role behaviour and organisation citizenship behaviour in both models. However, organisation commitment relates unexpectedly positively with intention to quit in the supervisor model, but negative in the top management model as found in previous research studies. The supervisor hypothesized model had a statistically significant chi-squared value x2 (394) = 707.168, df = 384, p < .0001, and showed appropriateness of fit with RMSEA = .046, CFI = .941, SRMR = .048. The top management hypothesized model had a statistically significant chi-squared value x2 (394) = 700.034, df = 384, p < .0001, and showed appropriateness of fit with RMSEA = .046, CFI = .942, SRMR = .047. Plausible explanations are discussed along with implications for theory and practice.

Magister Commercii - MCom
This minithesis aims to determine whether South Africa's microfinance institutions are operating efficiently and whether efficiency can be enhanced. Using the United Nations model and framework for efficiency, it examines the key principles of operational efficiency in the South African microfinance context. The paper begins with an overview of the literature relating to the principles of efficiency as underscored in the United Nations model.

Dissertation presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Stellenbosch University.
Thesis (PhD (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Uncertainty of continued donor funding poses a risk to microfinance operations worldwide, and this study explores the circumstances under which African microfinance institutions (MFIs) will consider commercial funding as a viable alternative source of funding. This research aims to identify the factors that are associated with successful access to private capital for pro-poor financial institutions. It examines the suitability of new opportunities for accessing fresh capital by MFIs for development and poverty reduction using commercialisation as an option. In a world awash in private capital, it is vital to harness the power of the private sector to solve key development challenges (World Bank, 2007). As microfinance institutions grow, they increasingly find themselves in need of additional capital to finance expansion of services to cover more poor communities. The study undertook a cross-country data analysis of 103 microfinance institutions to help provide understanding of the critical success factors that underpin successful access to commercial capital. The study also tested the hypothesis on the viability of commercial finances, and developed and tested a commercialisation success model for tapping commercial funds. The prediction model based on firm-level data from a sample of 21 African countries between 1998 and 2003, aims to minimise chances of failure and act as a screening system by investors as well as a selfassessment tool for MFIs intending to seek commercial capital. On examining the direct and indirect impact of firm-level success factors on commercialisation, the study identified key predictors of success and guidelines for MFI financing’s integration with the larger financial system. The study finds that certain critical success factors (CSFs) define minimum pre-conditions for microfinance institutions considering commercial funding as an alternative source of finance. There is evidence to suggest that the desire to tap into the capital markets and capacity to link with commercial investors is a realisable vision for African MFIs. The research evidence is instructive of widened financing options for MFIs and capacity to relax growth constraint in the industry. Based on the CSFs, the study suggests how MFIs can break free from 'captive' donor funding as a necessary platform for the switch to commercial finance in the industry. However, the findings also suggest the need for MFIs to satisfy the interests and requirements of prospective commercial investors to overcome new challenges. In particular, the results show that the extent of organisational formalisation and transparency in financial reporting are absolutely essential in drawing commercial lenders to invest in microfinance. In addition the study establishes the reasons why traditional approaches to financing microfinance cannot work any longer. There are some concerns on mission drift; in particular whether the poor gain from commercialisation, and under what circumstances their interests are taken care of in order to preserve the long-term social value of microfinance as a poverty reduction strategy. The study was carried out based on a rather limited time series data. However, the number of firms and the diversity is considered adequate for the study, as well as sample representation across Africa. The study also used views of 'thought leaders' as the source of information. Other personnel calibre may have had different suggestions. Perceptions were drawn from commercial lenders/investors of microfinance programmes based in Africa. Needless to say, any generalisation of CSFs beyond the African microfinance context should be made with caution. This study is probably one of the first attempts to explore the possibility of a linkage between microfinance and capital markets and it will be of interest to MFIs, commercial banks, international donors and investment funds with an interest in investing in the microfinance industry. The findings suggest that the speed of increase in financial leverage per country depends as much on the dynamism of the market, as it does on the level of development of the finance sector. The results indicate that commercial investors will be attracted by good financial returns and administrative efficiency (return on assets, cash-flow adequacy and operating expense ratio), transparent reporting and information disclosure and clarity, as well as low inflation levels. Investors will also be looking for larger, regulated and profitable MFIs with a low-risk profile for their investment portfolios. The study found strong support to the hypothesis that the commercialisation index (CI) is a better measure of successful commercialisation than the LMA (leverage multiplier added), given the variables used. In all cases, compelling evidence shows that the CI has more explanatory power and is an accurate predictor of two-year success in commercialisation as examined by logistic regression. These results suggest that the superior predictive abilities of the CI commercial rating rule could be explored to guide screening efforts for winners, investment decisions and other binary classification investigations. Specifically, the model can be useful in guiding successful commercialisation schemes in Africa because it provides MFIs with a structured approach for achieving sustainable commercial microfinance.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Onsekerheid oor volgehoue skenkerbefondsing is ’n risiko vir mikrofinansieringsinstansies wêreldwyd, en hierdie studie ondersoek die omstandighede waaronder Afrika se mikrofinansieringsinstansies (MFIs) kommersiële befondsing sal oorweeg as ’n lewensvatbare, alternatiewe bron van befondsing. Hierdie navorsing poog om die faktore, wat met die suksesvolle toetrede tot private kapitaal van pro-arm finansiële instellings geassosieer word, te identifiseer. Dit ondersoek die gepastheid van nuwe geleenthede vir MFIs om vars kapitaal te bekom en as ’n opsie te gebruik vir ontwikkeling en die vermindering van armoede deur kommersialisasie. In ’n wêreld met oorvloedige bronne van private kapitaal is dit lewensnoodsaaklik om die krag van die privaatsektor in te span om kern ontwikkelingsuitdagings op te los (World Bank, 2007). Soos mikrofinansieringsinstansies groei, het hulle ’n toenemende behoefte aan addisionele kapitaal ten einde die uitbreiding van dienste te kan finansier en om meer arm gemeenskappe te kan bereik. Die studie het data komende van 103 mikrofinansieringsinstansies uit verskeie lande ontleed om begrip van die kritiese suksesfaktore (KSFe), wat suksesvolle toegang tot kommersiële kapitaal onderskraag, te verkry. Die studie het ook die hipotese oor die lewensvatbaarheid van kommersiële finansiering getoets, en ’n model vir kommersialisasie-sukses ontwikkel en getoets om kommersiële fondse te bekom. Die voorspellingsmodel, wat gebaseer is op maatskappy-vlak data van ’n groep van 21 Afrika lande tussen 1998 en 2003, poog om die kanse op mislukking te minimeer en te dien as ’n siftingstelsel vir beleggers sowel as ’n selfondersoekmiddel vir MFIs wat beplan om kommersiële kapitaal te bekom. Deur die direkte en indirekte impak van maatskappyvlak suksesfaktore op kommersialisasie te bestudeer, het die studie sleutelvoorspellers van sukses asook riglyne vir die integrasie van MFI finansiering met die groter finansiële stelsel geïdentifiseer. Die studie bevind dat sekere KSFe minimum voorvereistes vaslê vir MFIs wat kommersiële befondsing as ’n alternatiewe bron van finansiering oorweeg. Daar is bewyse wat daarop dui dat die begeerte om toegang tot die kapitaalmarkte te verkry en die kapasiteit om met kommersiële beleggers te skakel ’n realiseerbare visie vir Afrika MFIs is. Die navorsing lewer insig wat aanduidend is van breër finansieringsopsies vir MFIs, en wat die beperkinge op groei in die industrie verslap. Gebaseer op die KSFe, stel die studie voor hoe MFIs uit die houvas van skenkerbefondsing kan loskom as ’n nodige stap vir die oorskakeling na kommersiële finansiering in die bedryf. Die bevindings dui egter ook op die behoefte van MFIs om aan die belange en vereistes van moontlike kommersiële beleggers te voldoen ten einde nuwe uitdagings te oorkom. Die resultate dui spesifiek daarop dat die mate van organisasie-formalisering en die deursigtigheid van finansiële verslagdoening noodsaaklik is om kommersiële uitleners te trek om in mikrofinansiering te belê. Verder bevestig die studie die redes waarom tradisionele benaderings tot die finansiering van mikrofinansiering nie meer kan werk nie. Daar is wel sekere bekommernisse oor die moontlike kompromittering van missie; in besonder is die vraag of die armes wel baat vind by kommersialisasie, en onder watter omstandighede daar na hulle belange omgesien word ten einde die langtermyn sosiale waarde van mikrofinansiering as ’n strategie vir armoede verligting te behou. Die studie is uitgevoer gegrond op tydreeksdata wat betreklik beperk is. Die aantal maatskappye en die diversiteit word egter as voldoende beskou vir die studie, asook dat die steekproef verteenwoordigendend was van lande regoor Afrika. Die studie gebruik ook die menings van ‘leierdenkers’ as ’n bron van inligting. Personeel van ’n ander kaliber mag verskillende voorstelle gehad het. Persepsies is verkry van kommersiële uitleners/beleggers van mikrofinansieringsprogramme wat in Afrika gebaseer is. Vanselfsprekend behoort enige veralgemening van die KSFe buite die Afrika mikrofinansieringskonteks met omsigtigheid gedoen word. Hierdie studie is waarskynlik een van die eerste pogings om die moontlikheid van ’n skakel tussen mikrofinansiering en die kapitaalmarkte te ondersoek en dit sal van waarde wees vir MFIs, kommersiële banke, internasionale skenkers en beleggingsfondse wat in belegging in die mikrofinansieringsbedryf belangstel. Die bevindinge dui daarop dat die spoed waarmee die effek van finansiële hefboom in ‘n land toeneem net soveel afhang van die dinamika van die mark as van die ontwikkelingsvlak van die finansiële sektor. Die bevindinge dui daarop dat kommersiële beleggers aangetrek sal word deur goeie finansiële opbrengste, administratiewe doeltreffendheid (opbrengs op bates, voldoende kontantvloei en die bedryfsuitgawe verhouding), deursigtige verslagdoening en duidelike openbaarmaking van inligting, sowel as lae inflasievlakke. Beleggers gee ook voorkeur aan groter, gereguleerde en winsgewende MFIs met ’n lae risikoprofiel vir hulle beleggingsportefeuljes. Die studie vind sterk ondersteuning vir die hipotese dat die Kommersialisasie-indeks (CI) ’n beter aanduiding van suksesvolle kommersialisasie is as die Leverage Multiplier Added (LMA), gegewe die veranderlikes wat gebruik is. In alle gevalle was daar sterk getuienis dat die CI ’n beter verduideliker is en ’n akkurate voorspeller is van die tweejaartermyn sukses in kommersialisasie soos deur middel van logistiese regressie getoets. Hierdie resultate dui daarop dat die superieure voorspellingsvermoëns van die CI se kommersiële beoordelingsreëls beproef kan word om die sifting van wenners, beleggingsbesluite en ander binêre klassifikasie ondersoeke te lei. Die model kan spesifiek nuttig wees om rigting te gee aan suksesvolle kommersialisasieskemas in Afrika omdat dit MFIs ’n gestruktureerde benadering gee tot die bereiking van volhoubare kommersiële mikrofinansiering.

The thesis examines factors that influence sustainability and success of microfinance institutions in Ghana. The topic is important, particularly in poverty stricken Africa, where microfinance institutions play a significant role in supporting governments' initiatives to reduce/alleviate poverty. The developed model is tested using data collected from 14 face-to-face interviews and 114 questionnaires. The data is analysed using different techniques- descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations and regression analysis. The research design and scale of the study are appropriate to both the problem addressed and doctoral level research. A number of factors in the model developed were found to be influencing the sustainability and success of microfinance institutions. A model was proposed that seeks to offer an explanation of sustainability and success of Microfinance Institutions in Ghana. The proposed model identified five categories being: institutional characteristics, agency costs, business strategy, environment/governance and success. Single factor analysis established positive relationships between sustainability and all the five factors but placed more emphasis on three out of the five factors namely; success, business strategy and environment/ governance. Multiple factor analysis established no significant differences in the sustainability with respect to the type of MFI, ownership and source of funding. Multiple Regression which allows for the testing of theories or models established a significant relationship between the Operational Self Sufficiency (OSS) and the predictors, especially the drop-out rate of clients and average loans. The Subsidy Dependence Index (SDI) was calculated for the various types of MFIs and the result was a high dependency ratio especially among the FNGOs. Though the dependency is on the decline, it is very slow indicating that most MFIs will depend on subsidies for a very long time to come. Finally it was observed that the relatively high interest rates charged by most of the MFIs tended to defeat the purpose for which the microfinance movement came about. Not only did the study confirm the research model, but it also revealed that most owners did not exhibit a deep sense of involvement and used general knowledge to practice in Ghana. The study concluded that success factors, business strategy, and environment/governance were the most critical of the sustainability factors in Ghana. It is therefore important that managers develop institutional capacities especially in managing the agency problem effectively if they have to be sustainable and successful.

The thesis examines factors that influence sustainability and success of microfinance institutions in Ghana. The topic is important, particularly in poverty stricken Africa, where microfinance institutions play a significant role in supporting governments¿ initiatives to reduce/alleviate poverty. The developed model is tested using data collected from 14 face-to-face interviews and 114 questionnaires. The data is analysed using different techniques- descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations and regression analysis. The research design and scale of the study are appropriate to both the problem addressed and doctoral level research. A number of factors in the model developed were found to be influencing the sustainability and success of microfinance institutions. A model was proposed that seeks to offer an explanation of sustainability and success of Microfinance Institutions in Ghana. The proposed model identified five categories being: institutional characteristics, agency costs, business strategy, environment/governance and success. Single factor analysis established positive relationships between sustainability and all the five factors but placed more emphasis on three out of the five factors namely; success, business strategy and environment/ governance. Multiple factor analysis established no significant differences in the sustainability with respect to the type of MFI, ownership and source of funding. Multiple Regression which allows for the testing of theories or models established a significant relationship between the Operational Self Sufficiency (OSS) and the predictors, especially the drop-out rate of clients and average loans. The Subsidy Dependence Index (SDI) was calculated for the various types of MFIs and the result was a high dependency ratio especially among the FNGOs. Though the dependency is on the decline, it is very slow indicating that most MFIs will depend on subsidies for a very long time to come. Finally it was observed that the relatively high interest rates charged by most of the MFIs tended to defeat the purpose for which the microfinance movement came about. Not only did the study confirm the research model, but it also revealed that most owners did not exhibit a deep sense of involvement and used general knowledge to practice in Ghana. The study concluded that success factors, business strategy, and environment/governance were the most critical of the sustainability factors in Ghana. It is therefore important that managers develop institutional capacities especially in managing the agency problem effectively if they have to be sustainable and successful.

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017.
A highly uneven income distribution and South Africa’s economic structure has over the years produced a larger number of the so called ‘unbankable’ families or households that are not served by the commercial retail-banking sector. Microfinance institutions (MFIs) emerged as an important tool for poverty alleviation and as a substitute in providing access to credit facilities to those individuals. However, many MFIs have failed to sustain and grow their business due to malpractices and poor implementation of sound corporate governance mechanisms. This study aims to identify the impact of corporate governance mechanisms on sustainability at selected MFIs in Cape Town. The study was undertaken in order to bridge the information gap and increase the knowledge base on the issues of corporate governance and sustainability of MFIs as this lack of information may be due to insufficient research in the sector. A survey research design by employing the triangulation method was used to gather data from selected MFIs (n=15) in Cape Town. Quantitative, qualitative and secondary data instruments were used for data collection. Participants for this study were selected through the use of purposive sampling. Data were analysed through SPSS V24 to generate descriptive and statistical results. Cronbach’s alpha value was employed to determine the reliability of the dataset. The study found that most MFIs have no governance mechanisms in place that act as a blue print to address governance issues. Only a few MFIs distinguish the positions of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman. In addition, this research showed that MFIs are struggling to be profitable as most of them continuously record lower levels of operational self-sufficiency and return on assets. The study recommends the ideal board size of MFIs, board diversity, separation on the positions of CEO and the Chairman, the use of the King IV report, and strategies for sustainability.

Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and the developing world have over the years attracted and received billions of US dollars (valued at over US$4 billion annually worldwide) in subsidies and concessionary funds. These subsidies are used to capitalize, promote growth, and help improve efficiency, operations and performance of newly established MFIs. At face value these interventions seem positive, yet studies have shown that they can be counterproductive in terms of their effect on the performance, efficiency and self-sustainability of the MFIs. This research addresses this issue by identifying four determinants of MFI’s performance and analysing the effect that subsidies have on them. A quantitative approach was used in the analysis in which the financial data of 92 MFIs were estimated using panel data estimation. The method of variable selection was based on the procedure used by Nawaz (2010). This method of determining the relationship between selected performance and sustainability indicators and subsidy was modelled on the Subsidy Dependant Index (SDI) method of analysis developed by Yaron (1992a) and the Return on Asset (ROA), Operational Self-Sufficiency (OSS) and Financial Self-Sufficiency (FSS) methods of analysis developed by the SEEP Network (2005). The summary results of the analysis showed that the majority of MFIs (90.22%) were not sustainable nor were they found to be profitable. However, the results show that all the institutions were operationally self-sufficient and that, on average, MFIs in SSA charged higher interest rates than MFIs in other parts of the world. The average OSS was 136.01% showing that MFIs are operationally self-sufficient. However, the average FSS value was 74.32% reflecting that the MFIs are not able to raise enough revenue to cover their capital and indirect costs which would ultimately result in them running out of equity funds. The inclusion of subsidies in the sustainability regressions resulted in a decline in the ability of the MFIs to attain operational and financial self-sufficiency, thus showing the negative effect subsidies have on the sustainability of MFIs. Inflation and interest rates charged on loans also had a negative effect on sustainability as they resulted in an increase in costs and a decline in the number of low income clients. MFIs located in wealthier countries were found to be more efficient because of the lower costs associated with having wealthier clients who have larger loan sizes. MFIs in lower income countries have to overcome limitations of weak infrastructures, low population densities and rural markets which increase operating costs. Older institutions were found to more likely be sustainable than new and young MFIs as expected because of their improved efficiency and productivity and also because they have more experience and are therefore better equipped to overcome challenges. However, by adding subsidy in the analysis the results show that the level of efficiency of MFIs is reduced. The results also show that with increased maturity MFIs are found to be more productive, however, when subsidies are included in the finances the levels of productivity will decline as costs increase. NBFIs are the most suitable business model to practice in MFIs in Africa according to the findings which reflect that NBFIs are more profitable and efficient than any of the other business models in the sample. However, cooperatives were found to be the most productive business model as they have a stronger borrower to staff ratio than the other institutional types. Furthermore, cooperatives and NBFIs tend to have clients who are better off and therefore can afford to take larger sized loans, unlike clients of NGOs who are poor who struggle to have a stable income. Copyright
Dissertation (MSc(Agric))--University of Pretoria, 2012.
Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development
unrestricted

Microfinance and microcredit are relatively new concepts in South Africa, yet the industry has experienced significant consolidation and growth. The industry appears to be progressing towards a sustainable growth phase. The aim of this paper is to study the problems experienced by the microfinance industry in South Africa, with regard to supply-side credit. Respondents ranked 26 challenges affecting the growth of MFIs in South Africa in order to establish the degree in which these issues affected their organisations. The top six issues impacting on the growth of the South African MFIs are: - High operational cost - Increased competition from commercial banks - Increased competition from MFIs - Legislation and regulatory framework - Fraud, There are solutions to most of these challenges. The industry can learn from a recommendation by Africa Diagnostic, which are: “The client must come first; groom leaders; and highlight transparency. All these recommendations are discussed at length.

The government of South Africa has seen many financial reforms in the finance industry since the attainment of freedom in 1994. Many microfinance institutions (MFIs) have emerged in the name of poverty reduction, however the impact of MFIs on poverty reduction in rural areas has not been significantly high. Poverty has been reduced but still the inequality gap has even widened (HSRC, 2004). The study is concerned with analysing the impact of MFIs in poverty reduction among the rural poor. Empirical evidence from many developing nations around the world has shown that microfinance is a tool that is relevant in reducing poverty within rural areas. This study investigates the impact of microfinance institutions on household income levels, education and business skills. The study followed a qualitative approach in terms of the research methodology and a survey research design. Data was collected using questionnaires, scheduled interviews, focus group discussions and key informants. Two sample techniques were used for the selection of the MFIs and the household respondents, that is purposive sampling and cluster sampling. In total, 150 households, 15 MFIs and five key informants were interviewed. Descriptive analysis methods were employed and the study showed that only 10 percent of the total households have been able to access microfinance. The number of people who gained business skills was also low (10 percent). The MFIs who provide financial services excluding the other services like business training programmes were 80 percent of the total number of MFIs interviewed. This data showed that only a few (20 percent) MFIs are willing to go an extra mile rendering business skills to their clients. Overally the major finding of the study was that although, MFIs are reaching out to the rural communities, their levels of outreach is still very low within the rural areas. However this does not mean that the impact of MFIs funding is not felt among the rural poor. The levels of income and educational benefits have been increased and felt by the 10 percent of the rural poor clients. This study advocates for an entrepreneurship development pathway to poverty reduction. Microfinance should be used as a source of finance to initiate entrepreneurial activities among the poor in order to generate income. In this study, the use of microfinance finance for consumption by the poor is discouraged because it depletes the funds that can be channeled for selfhelp projects within the rural communities. The study findings motivated the recommendations that encourage an inclusive financial system that is capable of reaching out to the rural poor.

Microfinance is the provision of credit/loans to poor individuals for the purpose of income generation. The Sub-Saharan African region which is among the poorest areas in the world is thought to be one of the regions where the microfinance industry is dynamic and growing in terms of acceptance and patronage. Even though microfinance in the Sub-Saharan Africa region has received a lot of research attention, most have focused largely on the financial performance whilst there is no available information on project management practices in new product development.Since project management is considered to be an effective means of managing new product development, the purpose of this work was to investigate the practice of project management in new product development in microfinance institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa and to assess which project management methods, and tools and techniques are used.A case study was adopted and a semi-structured interview through telephone/Skype was conducted on eight senior management staff from different microfinance institutions. The respondents comprised five Non-governmental organizations, two Non-Bank financial institutions and one Commercial Bank, operating in Angola, Gambia, Ghana, Mozambique, Namibia and Kenya.The empirical findings were that six of the microfinance institutions are involved in new product development whilst two of the institutions which are Non-governmental organizations are not. The main product that is developed by these microfinance institutions is credits/loans. The reason for new products development was to meet clients’ needs even though competition and the need to be innovative was also a factor.This research also shows that the six microfinance institutions that are into new product development organize product development through projects. Project management is the means through which new products are developed. In addition, projects are managed either solely by each microfinance institution or done in collaboration with other institutions.A further indication based on project management steps suggests a flexible practice of project management in developing new products as project management steps are not tightly followed. The project management methods that are used in developing new products in all these institutions was the in house method as all the respondents considered it an effective way because this method is adapted to their institutional structure.In addition, the commonly used tool and technique among all the institutions was the progress reports which contained necessary information for monitoring and evaluating of the projects.

Cette recherche est une contribution au débat sur la possibilité de concilier rentabilité, faible coût du crédit et large portée relative des institutions de microfinance. Elle discute aussi l’efficacité des subventions accordées à ces institutions. Enfin elle cherche à articuler la microfinance et la croissance économique dans les pays d’Afrique subsaharienne. Notre étude produit des résultats qui tendent à montrer qu’en Afrique subsaharienne les institutions de microfinance issues de la privatisation directe ou indirecte d’anciens réseaux de collecte étatiques ont une rentabilité négative mais touchent un grand nombre de personnes. A l’inverse les institutions de microfinance d’origine locale ont une taille relative beaucoup plus faible, leur part dans la distribution du crédit total à l’économie est faible, mais elles sont rentables. Deuxièmement la politique de subventions doit encourager les institutions à devenir autonomes plutôt que chercher à pérenniser les situations acquises d’endettement, tout en cherchant à réduire l’effet des coûts fixes sur le taux du crédit. Finalement, de la nature de la politique économique dépendra le développement relatif des secteurs formel et informel. Par exemple, une politique monétaire restrictive favorisera le secteur informel alors qu’une politique monétaire expansionniste favorisera le secteur formel
The aim of this dissertation is to contribute on the debate about the possibility to reconcile return, low cost of credit and high relative outreach of microfinance institutions. It deals with efficiency of the granted subsidies to these institutions and at last with the interaction between microfinance and economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa. The results of our study tend first of all to suggest that, in sub-Saharan Africa, microfinance institutions coming from the direct or indirect privatization of public development banks have a negative return but a high level of outreach, whereas microfinance institutions coming from local groups have a relative low size but are profitable and self-sufficient. The ratio of their gross loan portfolio to total loan is marginal. Secondly, subsidy policy should enforce microfinance institutions to become self-sufficient rather than perpetuate overdraft situations coming from the past. It should also aim at reducing fixed cost on loan rate. The development of formal and informal markets will depend on the nature of economic policy: a restrictive monetary policy will increase the informal market while an expansionist monetary policy will increase the formal market

This study examines the nature and characteristics of the informal sector within the Makana municipal area in South Africa. The focus is on the socio-economic characteristics of the informal sector operatives; operational characteristics of the microenterprises that we studied, such as longevity, employment generation, growth potential, and linkages of the informal sector with the formal sector of the economy. Extensive studies on the informal sector have been conducted in many parts of the world relative to South Africa. The key finding in most of these researches is that the informal sector is highly heterogeneous. These studies provide us with the parameters for analysing the nature and characteristics of the informal sector in the Makana Municipality. The results of the thesis show that the majority of people in Makana Municipality join the informal sector as a result of such push factors as unemployment, retrenchment and the need to survive. While there is evidence of lucrative activities amongst the surveyed enterprises, most of the informal sector micro-enterprises are concentrated in the lower segment of the sector where earnings are very low. Results from this study reveal that employment generation (beyond owner-operator) is very limited. The co-existence of a small number of remunerative activities alongside a large proportion of relatively unproductive activities is not only a sign of restricted economic potential but, most importantly, it points to the heterogeneous nature of the informal sector. Precisely, the informal sector encompasses activities which are different in terms of asset holdings, earnings, etc. From the study, it is also evident that the informal sector micro-enterprises play a crucial role in distributing goods produced in the formal sector. Evidence indicates that these micro-enterprises are Iinked to the formal sector. The idea of a 'second economy' devoid of linkages with the 'first economy' is of limited heuristic value. Thus, the 'second economy' is an extension of the first.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2005.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africans earning less than Rl 440 per month (18 million adults) and less than R2 880 per month (29 million adults) are regarded as poor and relatively poor respectively. Of the relatively poor, 78% are unbanked, i.e. do not have access to a formal bank account, while 86% of the poor are unbanked. These figures show clearly that commercial banks do not meet the financial needs of many people, especially the poor for savings, credit, transmission and insurance services. Therefore the importance of those institutions that do not form part of the formal financial sector and provide micro savings and micro credit services, generally referred to as micro finance, to the poor at the local level on a sustainable basis. The objective of this research is twofold. Firstly, a review of the literature on micro finance in general to establish the financial needs of the poor, the constraints formal financial institutions face in providing micro financial services and to identify best practice regarding the provision of financial services to the poor in order to be in the position to form an opinion on institutional success. Secondly, to analyse a specific South African micro finance initiative, Financial Services Cooperatives (FSCs), to identify how FSCs relate to the international best practice and to establish whether they are successful in addressing the financial needs of the poor. A FSC is a financial institution through which micro finance services (savings, credit, transmission and insurance) are extended to unbanked households in a rural village. It utilises a community's rules, customs, relationships, knowledge, solidarity and resources combined with formal financial methods and concepts. The FSC is initiated, owned, financed and managed by the villagers themselves. FSCs are registered cooperatives under the Cooperative Act of 1981 and may accept deposits from their members in terms of an exemption from the Bank Act of 1990. Currently, FSCs experience problems in providing credit, transmission and insurance services, preventing them from intermediating between borrowers and savers. After reviewing the above-mentioned international best practice the conclusion reached with regard to FSCs includes the following: FSCs only provide savings services and therefore do not intermediate between borrowers and savers as required for a financial institution. This in tum prevents them from being sustainable. FSCs' failure can be ascribed to the restrictive legislation, unsuccessful regulation and supervision. New legislation is currently under review that will change the landscape for micro finance and specifically for FSCs.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrikaners wat minder as Rl 440 per maand (18 miljoen volwassenes) en minder as R2 880 per maand verdien (29 miljoen volwassenes) word onderskeidelik as arm and relatief arm bestempel. Agt-en-sewentig persent van dié wat relatief arm is, het nie toegang tot 'n formele bankrekening nie, terwyl 86% van dié wat arm is, geen toegang het nie. Hierdie syfers toon duidelik dat kommersiële banke nie aan die finansiële behoeftes, met betrekking tot spaar-, krediet-, transmissie- en versekeringsdienste van baie mense voldoen nie, veral nie die armes nie. Daarom dat instellings wat nie deel vorm van die formele finansiële sektor nie en mikrobesparings en mikro-krediet, algemeen bekend as mikro-finansies, in 'n plaaslike gebied en op 'n volhoubare basis verleen, belangrik is. Die doel van hierdie navorsing is tweeledig: Eerstens, bied dit 'n oorsig oor die mikro-finansiering literatuur ten einde die finansiële behoeftes van die armes te ondersoek en die beperkings wat formele finansiële instellings ondervind om mikro-finansiële dienste te verskaf, aan te stip. Beste praktyk rakende die voorsiening van finansiële dienste aan die armes word geïdentifiseer, om sodoende in 'n posisie te wees om 'n opinie te kan vorm oor institusionele suksesfaktore. Tweedens, om a spesifieke Suid-Afrikaanse mikro-finansiële inisiatief, Finanical Services Cooperatives (FSCs) te ondersoek, ten einde vas te stel hoe hierdie inisiatief vergelyk met internasionale beste praktyk en hoe suksesvol dit is in die voorsiening van finansiële dienste aan die armes. 'n FSC is 'n finansiële instelling waardeur mikro-finansiële dienste (spaar-, krediet-, transmissie- en versekeringsdienste) verskaf word aan diegene in 'n plattelandse nedersetting wat nie toegang tot formele bankdienste het me. FSCs maak gebruik van 'n gemeenskap se reëls, gebruike, verhoudings, kennis, solidariteit en hulpbronne en kombineer dit met formele finansiële metodes en konsepte. Dit is 'n inisiatief van die gemeenskap en word deur die inwoners van die nedersetting besit, finansier en bestuur. FSCs is geregistreerde koëperasies in terme van die Ko-operatiewe Wet van 1981, en mag ook deposito's van hulle lede aanvaar op grand van 'n vrystelling van die Bankwet van 1990. Tans ondervind FSCs probleme in die verskaffing van krediet-, transmissieen versekeringsdienste wat hulle verhoed om as tussenganger tussen leners en spaarders op te tree. Na die oorweging van die internasionale beste-praktyk, kan die volgende gevolgtrekking rakende FSCs gemaak word: FSCs tree nie op as tussenganger tussen leners en spaarders nie, soos vereis word van 'n finansiële instelling nie. Dit beperk gevolglik volhoubaarheid. Die mislukking kan toegeskryf word aan beperkte wetgewing, onsuksesvolle regulering en supervisie. Nuwe wetgewing is tans onder oorweging wat die landskap vir mikro finansiering en veral vir FSCs sal verander.

Cette thèse est articulée autour de deux questions centrales visant à expliquer pourquoi et comment devrait être organisée la Complémentarité entre les Banques et les institutions spécialisées dans la Microfinance (CBM), afin de financer efficacement le développement dans les pays de l’UEMOA : l’Union Economique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine. Les aspects bancaires de la théorie de rattrapage économique de Gerschenkron sont adaptés au contexte de la prépondérance de l’économie informelle dans l’UEMOA. L’analyse empirique montre, quant à elle, que les secteurs bancaires et microfinanciers de l’UEMOA sont respectivement réfractaires et peu performants - en termes de rentabilité et d’impact social - pour l’autonomisation du processus de CBM. Relativement à la mise en oeuvre de la CBM, le cadre néoinstitutionnaliste de l’hybridité de la firme est mobilisé en vue d’intégrer et d’expliciter le rôle de l’autorité publique vis-à-vis des acteurs financiers privés, dont ceux du « mobile banking ». Par ailleurs, les « best practices » internationales dans la microfinance servent également de références empiriques et typologiques aux pays de l’UEMOA, en vue d’une coordination publique indirecte ou directe de la CBM
This thesis is based on two central questions whose purpose is to explain why and how the institutional complementarity should be organized between banks and microfinance institutions (MFIs) to effectively finance the development process of WAEMU (West African Economic and Monetary Union) countries. The banking aspects of Gerschenkron’s catch-up theory are adapted to the large informal context of the WAEMU economies. At empirical level, the independent and private processes of Complementarity between Banks and Microfinance institutions (CBM) are scarce in WAEMU as long as banks avoid risks associated with adaptation to microfinance customers, and MFIs are not efficient for infrastructure modernization and expansion. Thus, to implement CBM processes, the neo-institutionalist framework of hybridity of the firm and the international best practices in microfinance are mobilized in order to clarify the role of public authorities towards private financial actors, including the mobile banking operators

Financial Non-Governmental Organisations (FNGOs) are regulated microfinance institutions (MFIs) that operate with the social welfare logic in the delivery of Microcredit (MC) and Entrepreneurship Training (ET) to the poor in Ghana. The provision of these two capitals (MC and ET) is aimed at supporting the poor to create sustainable Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) which is aimed at generating both skilled and unskilled employment. The major aim of this study is to investigate the impact of MC and ET delivered by FNGOs on the performance of MSEs in Ghana. Theoretically, the study adopts both the Institutional Theory and the Resource-Based View theory as the underlying theoretical frameworks, assuming that institutional and resource factors have a great influence on FNGOs in their delivery of MC and ET to MSEs in Ghana. The research design adopted in undertaking this study is based on the pragmatic research philosophy. Specifically, the mixed strategy with an explanatory triangulation method has been used. The mixed method has been adopted purposely for model testing as well as for exploring various issues on FNGOs and their role in the performance of MSEs. Primary data were collected through a quantitative method using a survey as well as through qualitative interviews. Adopting a stratified random sampling method, a total of 720 self-administered questionnaires were sent out in March 2017 to MSEs in the Volta Region of Ghana to collect primary data. Out of the number sent, 506 questionnaires were retrieved generating a response rate of 70.2%. Also, interviews were conducted with 10 MSEs. A multiple regression model was applied in measuring the impact of MC and ET on the performance of MSEs. The findings suggest that firm characteristics such as gender, managers educational level, industry category and business age correlate positively with employment sales and profitability growth which are statistically significant at 1% level. Secondly, the study also found that both MC and ET factors have a significant impact on MSE performance in the areas of employment, sales and profitability at 1% significant level. The qualitative findings also support the model tested in this study in the sense that the combined approach of both MC and ET have a significant impact on MSE performance in Ghana. This study has made two main contributions. Firstly, the provision of MC by FNGOs can only have the desired impact on the performance of MSEs if it is combined with entrepreneurship training, thereby leading to a sustainable employment, sales and profitability growth. Therefore, by using the 506 MSEs financed by FNGOs in the Volta region of Ghana, this study has for the first time in the Ghanaian microfinance landscape tested an empirical model and came out with meaningful findings for effective integration of ET into microfinance to improve the delivery of financial services to MSEs in Ghana by FNGOs and other socially oriented MFIs. The study has therefore developed a practical framework for ensuring that ET is provided alongside the delivery of MC in order to have the desired impact on the performance of MSEs. The study provided implications for policy and practice for making MC and ET more accessible to MSEs to achieve the desired goal of creating employment. Secondly, even though FNGOs play a very important role in providing entrepreneurial finance to MSEs particularly in developing countries, it has received insufficient research attention. This study has, therefore, added to the scanty research available about FNGOs and their contribution to entrepreneurship development and poverty reduction in developing countries.

En microfinance, la réussite des grands réseaux côtoie les échecs silencieux des organisations coopératives rurales, qui peinent à exister après leur institutionnalisation et le retrait de l’appui extérieur. Les échecs des organisations coopératives ou mutualistes rurales sont liés au problème de gouvernance. Envisager les modes de gouvernance dans le but de réduire les coûts de transaction ou les conflits nés de la relation d’agence ne rend pas compte de façon satisfaisante l’aspect dynamique de la gouvernance en microfinance. Cette limite est relevée par l’approche hétérodoxe qui associe la genèse des nouveaux cadres qui émanent de l’interaction des parties prenantes et les compromis qui en découlent pour stabiliser les organisations. Nous avons opté une approche par les parties prenantes et pour justifier ce choix, nous avons eu recours à la grille d’analyse de Gérrard Charreaux, le modèle d’équilibre coopératif de Daniel Côté et le modèle théorique des parties prenantes de Christian Cadiou et alii. Sur le terrain, nous avons mobilisé les outils d’analyse de gouvernance du Cerise dans le cas du Remec Niayes. Nous retenons alors, que les coopératives et les mutuelles rurales sont la résultante d’une hybridation des ressources et d’une superposition de pratiques associatives et entrepreneuriales. Elles sont plus aptes à résister au retrait de l’appui externe lorsqu’elle bénéficie de cet appui après leur mise sur pied par les membres. La participation externe renforce les ressources et menace l’équilibre démocratique, elle déclenche un processus de rapatriement de pouvoir des dirigeants vers le personnel salarié. Lorsque les organisations coopératives sont déconnectées de leur base (sociétaires), les mécanismes sociaux ne jouent pas efficacement leur rôle auto-renforçant
In microfinance, the success of the major networks is closed to constant failures of rural cooperative organizations which are struggling to remain after their institutionalisation and their autonomy. The failure of rural mutual or cooperative organizations is related to the problem of governance. Considering the types of governance to reduce transaction costs and conflicts caused by the relations between agencies do not reflect exactly the dynamic aspect of governance in microfinance. This limit is raised by the heterodox theory that combines the genesis of new executives from the interaction of stakeholders and trade-offs which come out of that in order to stabilize organizations. We chose an approach by stakeholders and to justify this choice, we have used the model of Gérard Charreaux analysis, the Daniel Côté cooperative balance model and the Christian Cadiou theoretical model of the stakeholders. On the field, we have mobilized analysis tools of governance of the cherry in the case of the Niayes Remec. So, we bear in mind that cooperatives and rural mutual are the result of the melting between resources and superposition of associative and entrepreneurial practices. They are more able to endure the withdrawal of the external support when they benefit from that after their setting up by members. External participation strengthens resources and threatens the democratic balance, and it triggers a process of repatriation of authorities from leaders to the wage-earning staff. When the co-operative organizations are disconnected from their base (members), the social mechanisms do not play their auto-enforcement role efficiently

M.Comm.
Microfinance refers to the provision of financial services, in particular small loans in the context of South Africa, to poor people with very small businesses. Commercial banks have largely considered poor people in remote areas unbankable, because they lack collateral and have no credit histories. Microfinance institutions emerged as unconventional institutions with innovative techniques, mechanisms and instruments to advance financial services to this segmented part of the population. This has, however, not been without challenges. Microfinance institutions face a number of challenges such as lack of competent human capital, unfavourable regulatory environment, and insufficient financing. The study examines if these challenges are applicable in the South African context and whether financial and operational inefficiency has hindered microfinance institutions in South Africa from sustainably increasing their outreach through the provision of microcredit. It surveys two microfinance institutions, characterised as non-governmental organisations using the group lending methodology to offer microloans to the very poor. The results indicate that microfinance institutions are not on a sound fiscal footing, and large operating expenses have resulted in some form of inefficiency. This has, however, not hindered the microfinance institutions from reaching a greater number of borrowers. The witnessed increased outreach in number of clients reached is considered unsustainable given the existence of inefficiency and financial weakness. The results suggest a number of policy options on the side of government and the institutions concerned. Increasing the funding sources available to microfinance institutions should be considered by both government and private institutions. This policy would succeed if microfinance institutions work at reducing their operational costs and become both efficient and sustainable so as to be seen as viable investment options.

碩士
國立屏東科技大學
熱帶農業暨國際合作系
103
Through providing range of financial services to economically disadvantage households, microfinance institutions (MFIs) contribute to the socio-economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the productivity changes of SSA MFIs. A balanced panel dataset of 420 yearly observations with 60 SSA MFIs during 2006-2012 was applied to the output-oriented Malmquist productivity index (MPI) in Data Evolvement Analyses (DEA). Two inputs (personnel and operating expense) and three outputs (total saving, gross loan portfolio, and number of loans outstanding) were selected in the efficiency assessment of MFIs. The results indicated that SSA MFIs exhibited 7.6% of productivity progress during the study period mainly attributed to technical efficiency change (TEC), yearly growth 9.9%, rather than technological change (TC), yearly growth -2.1%, with 57% of the 60 MFIs experiences technologically deterioration. Notably, the period of 2010-2011 was the peak of improvements with 24.1%, 17.4%, 17.1%, and 45.7% yearly growth of the TEC, TC, scale efficiency (SE), and total factor productivity (TFP) respectively. By further decomposing technical efficiency into its additives, it was found that pure technical efficiency (PTE), growth 5.9%, mostly contributed to the TEC improvement of the MFIs rather than SE, growth 3.8%, during the study period. Through ANOVA test, productivity changes were insignificantly different between different legal statuses of MFIs. As the results, SSA MFIs need to pursue technological progress and optimum scale size, financial data need to be updated and enhance regional collaboration within the industry to improve the productivity of the MFIs are suggested.

碩士
國立屏東科技大學
熱帶農業暨國際合作系
101
Microfinance institutions are known for their contribution in poverty alleviation in most parts of the world by providing financial services to the poor for self-economic empowerment. This study aims to compute the technical efficiency of these institutions operating in Africa and Latin America and Caribbean, as both the producer of loans and intermediary institutions to the poor clients. The study sample is 30 microfinance institutions extracted from Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX) 2011 data for both regions, with 15 Non-Bank Financial Institution, 7 Banks-Financial Institutions, 6 Credit Union/ Cooperative, and 2 NGOs offering microfinance services to the poor. The study used Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) input oriented model to compute efficiency score under both constant and variable return to scale. The average technical efficiency score obtained under intermediation was higher in Latin America, and Caribbean microfinance institutions with a score of 0.81 and 0.74 for Africa. However, under the production approach, Africa microfinance institutions have higher efficiency score of 0.78 as compared to Latin America and Caribbean with a score of 0.56. Most of the inefficiencies in microfinance institutions were as a result of inappropriate allocation of inputs or operating at inappropriate scale as the average efficiency scores were high under pure technical efficiency as compared to scale efficiency. The results by status show that NGOs and Credit Union/Cooperatives were the best performers in both production and intermediation approach, which is in line with some of the empirical findings. The study recommends the promotion of Credit Union/Cooperative and NGO-microfinance institutions in developing regions as these microfinance institutions are found to be the most efficient under both production and intermediation approach especially in Africa.

M.Com. (Business Management)
The aim of this research study is to investigate the effect of the National Credit Act on a micro-lending financial institution, namely Old Mutual Finance. The objective of the study is to gain insight from Old Mutual management staff on how their sales and operations have been affected since the inception of the Act and to reflect on their experiences and perception regarding the Act. The study also assesses Old Mutual Finance customers’ level of awareness and perceptions regarding the Act. The purpose of the National Credit Act is to promote and advance the social and economic welfare of South Africans, promote a fair, transparent, competitive, sustainable, responsible, efficient, effective and accessible credit market and industry, and to protect consumers. A mixed model research was used where both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques and analysis procedures were used and combined. For qualitative data collection, five senior management staff of Old Mutual Finance were interviewed. This entailed face-to-face interviews which were semi-structured, their responses were manually written and also digitally recorded. The quantitative method involved the use of a survey of two hundred and thirty two of their customers from four different Old Mutual Finance branches located in Johannesburg. The results of the study indicate that the National Credit Act is considered to be appropriate legislation with good intentions. However, some aspects of the legislation need to be addressed to ensure that credit providers are able to smoothly implement its rules and regulations in the lending market. Concerns pertaining to the lack of consumer knowledge or low financial literacy were also raised. Using the promax rotation and eigenvalues exceeding one, three factors namely, Knowledge of the Act, Attitudes towards the Act and Perception towards credit in general were identified which together explained the 47% of the variance for the entire set of variables. These three factors corresponded to the themes of the customer questionnaire.

Thesis (M.M. (Finance & Investment))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Wits Business School, 2017.
Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) are proving to be a pivotal asset in providing essential access to financial services to the urban and rural poor who are traditionally shunned by the mainstream blue-chip financial service providers in developing countries. However, in the literature, MFIs providing entrepreneurial assistance have been lumped together with MFIs providing a more exploitative and consumption loan offering. This then masks the value or the poverty reducing effect of MFIs that have financial products geared to assist the creation of small businesses for the poor. The aim of this study is to examine South Africa’s microfinance institutions and their impact on poverty reduction in urban and rural areas. To this end the research question is as follows: what is the impact of the MFI on poverty reduction around eThekwini region? This study was conducted among microfinance institutions and the beneficiaries of MFIs in eThekwini region. In order to gain better insights and in order to better understand the real depth and knowledge of this topic, the researcher needed a view of both the service provider and their customers. A structured close ended survey questionnaire was designed for MFI managers and borrowers. The responses received show that Microfinance institutions are a useful means to reduce poverty among the poor. On this basis, it is recommended that the government must play an active role to regulate MFIs but more importantly to find innovate ways to help fund or subsidize their activities among the poor.
MT 2017

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Industrial Engineering and Management (MIEGI)
Microfinance is a strategy adapted to provide opportunities to different economic classes, contributing to the financial flow of a country. However, it can also be a cause of economic failure if the cycle of the loan is interrupted, meaning if a loan is not repaid and a lot of money is lost. With the number of loans increasing, there is a high risk of having a lot more loans entering the overdue stage, overloading the resources available to take actions on the repayment of the loan. For that reason, this dissertation ”Allocation of overdue loans based in an officer performance in a Sub-Saharan Africa microfinance institution” expects to keep optimizing the way this part of the process works. So, initially, only one experiment was thought to be tested, as the title of this dissertation mention, but soon two more were added and conducted to keep seeking for a better distribution of the loans through the officers available, to maximize the probability of recovering the loan. In the first one, it was analyzed, using the classification method, the relation between the loan and some selected characteristics from the officers part of an optimized profile, in order to improve the connection officer-user. The three biggest characteristics chosen to build that profile did not show strong results with F1 scores between 0 and 0,74. Although this could be a good value to consider, there is a big gap between scores when there is a good prediction for paid/ unpaid. In the second one, an approach similar to the credit scoring models was followed, where the loan should be classified as paid or unpaid based on what prediction could result in the analysis of each loan characteristics. The results were not that different from the first experiment, where the Support Vector Machine present potential to be a solution with an F1 score average of 0.625, however when predicting the loans unpaid it showed to be random with a score of 0.55, losing the confidence in this option. In the third and last one, the experiment was similar to the second one. The difference was on what data mining technique was used - the clustering technique was used rather than the classification. This technique showed quite better results compared to the others, being possible to visualize well-defined clusters in the data. This way, the implementation of groups of loans and the prioritization scale would be the best strategy to organize the loans in the team and to assign them in an optimal way to maximize the recovery.
O Microfinanceamento é uma estratégia adaptada para promover oportunidades para as diferentes classes económicas de uma sociedade, contribuindo para o fluxo financeiro de um país. Por outro lado, pode também ser uma causa de falha económica, se o ciclo do empréstimo for interrompido, isto é, se o empréstimo não for pago e uma parte do dinheiro for perdida. Com o crescimento do número de empréstimos, há um risco maior da extensão da data limite, sobrecarregando os recursos disponíveis para o repagamento do empréstimo. Por essa razão, a presente dissertação ”Alocação de empréstimos em atraso baseada na prestação do operador numa instituição de microfinanciamento da África subsariana” espera continuar a optimizar a forma como este processo trabalha. Assim, inicialmente, apenas um ensaio foi pensado para ser testado, como o título desta dissertação indica, mas rapidamente mais dois ensaios foram conduzidos para continuar a procura por uma melhor distribuição dos empréstimos pelas pessoas disponíveis, para maximizar a probabilidade de recuperar esse empréstimo. No primeiro, foi analisada, utilizando um método de classificação, a relação entre o empréstimo e algumas características dos funcionários (parte do seu perfil otimizado), no sentido de melhorar a relação com o utilizador. As três características do perfil escolhidas não mostraram resultados fortes com pontuações entre 0 e 0,74. Embora esta última teria potencial, existia um grande intervalo nos valores numa boa previsão para paid/ unpaid. No segundo, foi seguida uma abordagem similar aos modelos de credit scoring, onde um empréstimo é classificado como pago ou não pago baseado na previsão da análise das características de cada empréstimo. Os resultados não foram muito diferentes dos do primeiro ensaio, onde o Support Vector Machine apresentou algum potencial para ser solução com uma pontuação média de 0.625, no entanto, quando previa os empréstimos unpaid, mostrava ser aleatório com uma pontuação de 0.55, perdendo a confiança nesta opção. No terceiro e último, a diferença para o segundo estava em qual das técnicas de Data Mining foi utilizada - a técnica de clustering foi a escolhida. Esta técnica demonstrou melhores resultados entre todas, sendo possível a visualização bem definida de grupos nos dados. Desta maneira, a implementação de grupos e da escala de priorização seriam a melhor estratégia para organizar os empréstimos na equipa, de forma a maximizar a recuperação.