Thesis (Ph. D.)--UCLA, 2008. / Vita. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 197-211).

Migrant labourers who cross borders often have to send money back to their various countries of origin. These monetary transfers are known as remittances. To send these funds migrants often opt to rely on informal mechanisms as opposed to the remittance services of formal financial institutions such as banks. Informal remittance mechanisms raise a number of concerns such as those related to consumer protection. In contrast to formal channels informal channels are not based on any legally binding agreements. They are highly based on trust and do not offer any legally binding guarantee that the funds will be delivered or that the remitter will be reimbursed in the event of non-delivery. Aside from consumer protection concerns, informal remittances also raise security related concerns. These channels are not subject to the supervision of any regulatory authority and usually offer a high level of anonymity. They can act as an attractive mechanism for terrorists and criminal organisations to launder and mobilise their illicit funds. Taking into mind the concerns mentioned above, as well as others, it would be preferable for more remittances to be channeled through formal financial mechanisms. In conducting research on remittance transactions financial, as well as other institutions and organisations, have outlined legal and regulatory provisions in sending and recipient countries as being a factor that often hinders migrants from accessing formal financial services. This dissertation examines how the South African legal and regulatory framework affects the formalisation of remittances by migrant labourers, with a focus on the context of low-income migrants. The study identifies the Exchange control, immigration, anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism legislative provisions as being the most significant provisions that affect the formalisation of migrant remittances. So as to make an analysis and gather recommendations were possible, a comparison of the South African legal and regulatory provisions is made to those of Zambia and Zimbabwe. The dissertation comes to the conclusion that South African legal and regulatory provisions hinder the formalisation of migrant remittances to a certain extent. They do so by collectively and individually restricting migrants who do not fulfill legislative requisites from accessing formal remittance channels. It is submitted that such migrants are inclined to rely on informal remittance mechanisms when the need to send money arises. Furthermore, South African law restricts competition within the remittance market by making it difficult for service providers to enter the market. The lack of an adequate competitive level fosters the prevalence of high remittance costs which can pose a significant barrier to low income migrants that wish to channel funds via formal means. Taking into mind the significance of formalising remittances as well as the objectives that the laws that hinder them seek to attain, which are equally significant, it is necessary for the regulatory authorities to investigate ways on how to possibly cater for both. It is submitted that if more remittances were to be channeled through official means the objectives sought to be attained by some of these legislative provisions would be attained more efficiently.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study analyses the implications of financial liberalisation programme for international remittance inflows with regard to the macroeconomic determinants and also the implications of remittances for economic growth and development in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) between 1980 and 2009. The methodological approach to the analytical framework of this study is based on the hypothesis that financial liberalisation causes higher inflows of international migrant remittances through official channels to augment the scarce domestic financial resources, and to stimulate economic growth for sustainable development in capital-constrained SSA. Prior to the macroeconometric analyses, the study addressed definitional and measurement issues on international remittances and financial liberalisation, and provided an overview of the macroeconomic policy environment in post-independent SSA, as well as the magnitude and the trends in remittances received by SSA relative to other developing economies. First, the system Generalised Method of Moment (GMM) for dynamic panel-data estimation was used to determine the macroeconomic factors responsible for the changing trends in remittance inflows. Then an inquiry into the impact and causal effects of financial liberalisation on international remittance inflows in SSA following the static panel-data modelling and panel Granger non-causality estimation procedures was undertaken. Following this, the system GMM was further employed to examine the impact of remittances on long-run economic growth, and the effects of remittance inflows on economic development in SSA. Essentially, the economic development indicators considered in this study are poverty, income inequality, labour market outcomes, human capital development, and financial development. It is revealed in this study that the most appropriate measure of international migrant remittances is the sum of “workers‟ remittances” and “compensation of employees” excluding “migrant transfers”. Using remittances per capita, which the study found to be the best proxy for remittances per migrant rather than the commonly used remittances as a percentage of GDP, it is shown that SSA is the least recipient of official migrant remittances in the world, with no SSA country receiving remittances worth US$1 per day. This study further establishes that the macroeconomic factors that influence remittance inflows in SSA have varying rather than static impact in response to changing macroeconomic policy environment. Also, macroeconomic factors have different influences on attracting remittances from abroad in relation to migrant duration status – permanent or temporary. Although financial liberalisation Granger-causes international remittances, not sufficient evidence exists that a significant proportion of the official remittances received in SSA passes through the banking system. Besides, the extent to which financial liberalisation can Granger-cause and/or positively impact on international remittance inflows in SSA is directly and ultimately conditional to the macroeconomic fundamentals of the remittance-receiving SSA country. It was also found out that generally, international migrant remittances propel higher economic growth in SSA, with greater impact on SSA countries with relatively higher growth rates. International remittance inflows have significant positive developmental impact, with no sufficient evidence of moral hazard effects. Overall, international remittances contribute to reducing poverty and unemployment but not necessarily income inequality and, at worse, remittances have no significant impact on labour productivity and participation in SSA. Higher remittance inflows promote human welfare, educational attainment, life expectancy, and financial development in SSA. With the exception of educational attainment, the developmental effects of remittances vary across countries, depending upon the level of economic development.

As a result of the Zimbabwean socio-economic and political crisis many have joined the Diaspora leaving their children behind in the care of others. Qualitative research in the form of in-depth semi-structured interviews carried out with seventeen adolescent Zimbabwean Diaspora orphans evidenced a number of emerging themes that illuminate how these adolescents view their situation, such as symptomology of depression, feelings of abandonment and rejection, conflicting feelings, lack of social support, the importance of communication, role changes and additions, materialism, challenges presented by relationships with caregivers, and vulnerability to sexual abuse and molestation. Most of the themes do not appear to be country specific but are shared by adolescent Diaspora orphans world-wide. Defence and coping mechanisms employed by these adolescents to cope with parental absence were also identified. Recommendations aimed at optimising their integration in society and suggestions for further research in this field conclude this study. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Thesis (MDF (Development Finance))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Meer en meer mense werk buite hul land van herkoms as ooit tevore, en die geld wat hulle stuur na hul tuislande kan bestempel word as ‘n belangrike ekonomiese krag. Hierdie geld kan ’n belangrike rol speel in die ekonomie wat die geld ontvang. Die geld wat reiswerkers tuis stuur word remise of geldsending genoem en oortref reeds Offisiële Ontwikkelingshulp en oortref selfs Buitelandse Investering in sommige lande. Hierdie navorsingsverslag fokus op Zimbabwe, ’n land waarvan die ekonomie volgens sommiges reeds lank gelede moes ineengestort het. Die studie ondersoek tot watter mate geldsending die Zimbabwe ekonomie beskerm teen ineenstorting. Die verslag gebruik ’n opname onder verskeie rolspelers om te wys hoe geldsending die Zimbabwe ekonomie beskerm teen internasionale uitsluiting en sanksies. Zimbabweërs wat die ekonomiese swaarkry vrygespring het in hul land van herkoms stuur voortdurend geld na vriende en familie. Remise word deels gebruik as investering in kleinsake, terwyl deel van die buitelandse valuta investeer word in komoditeite wat die land moeilik deur offisiële kanale sou kon bekom. Die studie het bevind dat geldsending in 2005 en 2006 ongeveeer 25.5% en 25 persent respektiewelik tot die Bruto Nasioanle Produk van Zimbabwe bygedra het. Die studie het verder ’n paar interresante bevindinge gemaak. Een van hierdie is die ongedokumenteerde verskynsel van defleksie van geldsending na meer stabiele ekonomieë of geldeenhede. Sulke remise word dan in die land gehou waar dit gegenereer is, of dit word gestuur in ’n stabiele geldeenheid, of dit word selfs in die vorm van produkte soos kos gestuur. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: More and more people are working outside their countries of citizenship than before. These people are now a major economic force to their countries of origin as they are sending a lot of money to relatives back home. This income plays a key role in receiving economies. The money migrants send home is referred to as remittances and the amount transferred globally has eclipsed official development assistance (ODA) and in some economies it is well ahead of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). This research focuses on Zimbabwe, a country whose economy has long been anticipated to collapse but has so far evaded that implosion. It explores to which extent remittances are cushioning Zimbabwe’s economy from collapse. This report uses a survey of a number of role players to show how remittances have cushioned that economy from the effects of international isolation and sanctions. Zimbabweans who “escaped” the economic hardships in their country of origin have been consistently sending money home to their friends and relations. Money received has partly been invested in small businesses and part of the forex has been used to procure commodities that the country has struggled to acquire through official channels. The study found that the amount of remittances sent for 2005 and 2006 has respectively contributed approximately 25.5 and 25 percent to the GDP of Zimbabwe. The study further made a number of interesting findings. One of these seems to be the undocumented phenomenon of the deflection of remittances to more stable economies or currencies. Such remittances would be kept in the country where it is generated, or it would be sent back in a stable country, or could even be in the form of products such as food.

As a result of the Zimbabwean socio-economic and political crisis many have joined the Diaspora leaving their children behind in the care of others. Qualitative research in the form of in-depth semi-structured interviews carried out with seventeen adolescent Zimbabwean Diaspora orphans evidenced a number of emerging themes that illuminate how these adolescents view their situation, such as symptomology of depression, feelings of abandonment and rejection, conflicting feelings, lack of social support, the importance of communication, role changes and additions, materialism, challenges presented by relationships with caregivers, and vulnerability to sexual abuse and molestation. Most of the themes do not appear to be country specific but are shared by adolescent Diaspora orphans world-wide. Defence and coping mechanisms employed by these adolescents to cope with parental absence were also identified. Recommendations aimed at optimising their integration in society and suggestions for further research in this field conclude this study. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

The study investigated the impact of remittances on financial development in Africa using the dynamic generalised methods of moments (GMM) and other panel data analysis methods with data from 2003 to 2015. Using the same econometric estimation methods, the study also explored the influence of the complementarity between remittances and economic growth on financial development in Africa. Literature on the relationship between remittances and financial development is mixed, inconclusive and indecisive. The desire to contribute towards literature on the influence of remittances on financial development in the African context prompted this study. In Africa, personal remittances had an insignificant positive impact on financial development across all the econometric estimation approaches in all the four models, in line with some empirical studies on the subject matter. African countries are urged therefore to avoid wasting their time developing and implementing remittances, foreign aid and human capital development enhancement policies as a way of spearheading financial development. Using both broad money (as % of GDP) and domestic private credit ratio as measures of financial development, the interaction between remittances and economic growth was found to have a non-significant negative effect on financial development in Africa. The policy implication is that Africa needs to avoid over relying on economic growth as a channel through which financial development can happen / Die studie het die impak van betalings op finansiële ontwikkeling in Afrika ondersoek – deur middel van die dinamiese veralgemeende momentemetode (GMM) en ander metodes van paneeldata-ontleding, met data van 2003 tot 2015. Dieselfde ekonometriese beramingsmetodes is ook ingespan om die invloed van die komplementariteite tussen betalings en ekonomiese groei op finansiële ontwikkeling in Afrika te ondersoek. Die literatuur oor die verwantskap tussen betalings en finansiële ontwikkeling is gemeng, onoortuigend en vaag. Die begeerte om tot die literatuur oor die invloed van betalings op finansiële ontwikkeling in die Afrika-konteks by te dra, het tot hierdie studie aanleiding gegee. In Afrika het persoonlike betalings ʼn onbeduidende positiewe impak op finansiële ontwikkeling in al die benaderings tot ekonometriese beraming in al vier modelle gehad, wat strook met sommige empiriese studies oor die onderwerp. Afrika-lande word dus gemaan om nie hul tyd te mors met die ontwikkeling en implementering van betalings en buitelandse hulp en beleide om mensekapitaalontwikkeling te verbeter as ʼn manier om finansiële ontwikkeling te lei nie. Daar is bevind dat sowel breë geldvoorraad (as ʼn persentasie van BBP) en die binnelandse private kredietverhouding as maatstawwe van finansiële ontwikkeling, die wisselwerking tussen betalings, en ekonomiese groei ʼn nie-beduidende negatiewe uitwerking op finansiële ontwikkeling in Afrika het. Die beleidsimplikasie is dat Afrika moet waak teen oorafhanklikheid van ekonomiese groei as ʼn kanaal waardeur finansiële ontwikkeling kan plaasvind. / Ucwaningo beluphenya umthelela wezimali ezibhadalwayo mayelana nokuthuthukiswa komkhakha wezezimali e-Afrika ngokusebenzisa izindlela ezifanayo zezikhathi (GMM) kanye nezinye izindlela zokuhlaziywa idatha yephaneli ngokusebenzisa idatha yonyaka ka 2003 ukufikela ku 2015. Ngokusebenzisa izindlela ezifanayo zohlelo lokulinganisa isimo somnotho (econometric estimation), ucwaningo futhi luye lwahlola umthelela wousebenzisana okuphakathi kwezimali ezibhadalwayo kanye nokuhluma komnotho mayelana nokuthuthukiswa ngezimali e-Afrika. Umbhalo wobuciko mayelana nobudlelwano phakathi kwezimali ezibhadalwayo kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwezinhlaka zezimali uxutshwe ndawonye, awunaso isiphetho futhi awukwazi ukuthatha izinqumo. Isidingo sokufaka igalelo embhalweni wobuciko mayelana nomthelela wezimali ezibhadalwayo kwihlelo lokuthuthukiswa kwezimali ngaphansi kwesizinda sase-Afrika, ykho okuphembelele ukuthi kube nalolu cwaningo. E-Afrika, izimali ezibhadalwa abantu ziye zaba nomthelela omuhle kwintuthuko yezimali kuzo zonke izindlela zokulinganisa izinga lentuthuko yezomnotho kuwo wonke amamodeli amane, ngokuhambisana nezinye izifundo zocwaningo oluphathekayo lwalesi sifundo. Ngalokho-ke amazwe ase-Afrika ayanxenxwa ukuthi agweme ukumosha isikhathi sawo athuthukisana futhi asebenzisa uhlelo lokuthumela izimali futhi agweme ukuqinisa imigomo yoncedo oluvela emazweni angaphandle kanye nokuthuthukisa abantu ngokwamakhono omsebenzi, njengento yokuhlahla indlela yohlelo lokuthuthukiswa kwezimali. Ukusethenziswa kokubili imali ebanzi (njengephesenti le-GDP) kanye njengesilinganiso sesikweletu, phecelezi-domestic private credit ratio sisebenza njengesilinganiso sezinga lokutthuthuka ngokwezimali, ukusebenzisana phakathi kwezimali ezibhadalwayo kanye nokuhluma komnotho kutholakele ukuthi kube nomthelela ongabalulekile omubi phezu kwezinga lentuthuko yezimali e-Afrika. Ngokomgomo lokhu kuchaza ukuthi i-Afrika idinga ukuthi igweme ukwencika kakhulu ukusebenzisa uhlelo lokuthuthukiswa komnotho njengomgudu lapho kungathuthukiswa komnotho. / Financial Accounting / M. Com. (Business Management)

Text in English / Zimbabwe‘s economic and political instability has resulted in the migration of over four million of its people. Many of those who join the Diaspora leave their children behind in the home country, a phenomenon known as ―Diaspora orphans‖. Little is known of the experiences of these Zimbabwean adolescents affected by parental out-migration. A Pilot Study in 2011 highlighted emergent themes and explored the use of defence and coping mechanisms, by thematically analysing in-depth interviews carried out with these youngsters. This study re-examined these interviews and carried out follow-up ones, with a view to establish whether longitudinal changes take place. Resilience levels of participants were also measured, using the Child and Youth Resilience Measure ‒ 28, in individual, relational and contextual areas, to establish whether high resilience results in better coping and adjustment to parental absence. Findings confirm this and evidence that multiple stressors result in lower resilience levels and seem to indicate that a reciprocal relationship exists between resilience levels and optimal coping. Recommendations on how best to help these youngsters to cope with their altered circumstances, with special emphasis on the role of educational establishments, and suggestions for further research in this field conclude this study. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

The thesis analyzes macro-economic determinants and roles of financial sector development.<p> The literature argues that the size and efficiency of both banking systems and financial markets - the two major components of a financial system - matter for economic development. In the same vein, the quality of financial institutions and regulations are instrumental in the construction of a strong financial system.<p> We study several aspects of financial sector development in relation to three recent phenomena, namely, the rise of Islamic banking and finance, the increasing interest for emerging stock markets, and the growing remittance flows.<p> This thesis is made up of three essays.<p> The first essay extends the literature on the determinants of financial sector development, from the angle of culture. We show that, on average, Islamic finance favors the development of the banking sector in Muslim countries. We provide evidence that several countries have indeed been successful in launching a new, Shariah-compliant, banking system, while not harming the existing, conventional, banking sector. Our empirical analysis uses a newly-constructed original database on the size and performance of Islamic deposit banks globally over the period 2000 to 2005.<p> The second essay focuses on stock markets, in particular, the less-studied emerging equity markets. We confirm traditional literature findings on unconditional stock returns, over a panel of 53 Major and Frontier markets. Mainly, volatility is high, big surprises happen, and return correlations with the rest of the world are low but have been rising over the last decades. In spite of large differences in market size and liquidity, Frontier market returns are qualitatively similar to Major markets', except correlations, which are lower in Frontier markets. At current correlation levels, the latter continue to bring substantial diversification benefits to international investors.<p> The last essay examines the relationship between remittances and economic growth. It confirms that remittances are important for developing countries as they stimulate domestic investment. It then demonstrates, theoretically and empirically, that improving the access to bank deposit accounts is crucial to channel remittances to more productive uses. This is even more true when the access to international borrowing is costly.<p> The 2008-2009 financial crisis has propelled the improvement of financial systems to the top of policymakers' agendas. Our work contributes to a better understanding of the importance of finance in economic outcomes. It also brings a novel perspective on the determinants of financial systems./<p> Notre thèse a pour objet l'étude des déterminants et des rôles macro-économiques des secteurs financiers dans le monde.<p> Selon la littérature scientifique, la taille et l'efficacité des systèmes bancaires et des marchés financiers - les deux composantes principales d'un système financier - sont importantes pour le développement économique. Il apparaît également que la qualité des institutions et des régulations financières contribuent à la création d'un système financier fort.<p> Au travers de trois essais, nous examinons plusieurs aspects du développement du secteur financier, qui sont en relation avec trois phénomènes récents; à savoir: la croissance de la finance islamique, l'intérêt grandissant pour les marchés boursiers émergents, et l'augmentation des flux de transferts de fonds des migrants.<p> Dans le premier essai, nous nous intéressons aux facteurs culturels comme déterminants des secteurs financiers et, en particulier, au rôle de la religion musulmane. Nous montrons que, en moyenne, la finance islamique favorise le développement du secteur bancaire dans les pays musulmans. Plusieurs pays ont en effet réussi à développer un nouveau secteur bancaire compatible avec la Shariah, sans porter ombrage au secteur bancaire non islamique avec lequel il co-existe. Notre analyse empirique est fondée sur une base de données nouvelle et originale. Celle-ci a pour intérêt de fournir des indicateurs de taille et de performance des banques islamiques de dépôt dans le monde, pour la période 2000-2005.<p> Dans le deuxième essai, nous explorons les rendements inconditionnels obtenus sur les marchés boursiers, en particulier les marchés émergents d'actions. Notre analyse d'un large panel de 53 marchés émergents "Majeurs" et "Frontières" confirme les résultats traditionnellement observés dans la littérature. Ainsi, pour l'essentiel, les deux types de marchés sont volatils et émaillés d'événements extrêmes. De plus, les rendements des marchés émergents sont faiblements corrélés avec ceux du reste du monde, même si ces corrélations ont augmenté au cours des derniers décennies. Malgré d'importantes différences en terme de taille et de liquidité, les rendements sur marchés "Frontières" sont qualitativement similaires à ceux des marchés "Majeurs", à l'exception des corrélations. Ces dernières sont en effet actuellement plus faibles dans les marchés "Frontières", qui continuent dès lors à offrir d'importants bénéfices de diversification aux investisseurs internationaux.<p> Dans le dernier essai, nous examinons la relation entre les transferts d'argent des migrants et la croissance économique. Nous confirmons l'idée que les transferts de fonds des migrants sont importants pour les pays en voie de développement. Mais surtout, nous démontrons, de manière théorique et empirique, qu'il est crucial de faciliter dans ces pays l'accès aux comptes de dépôt bancaires, afin de transformer une plus grande part des transferts des migrants en investissements productifs. Ceci est d'autant plus vrai quand l'accès aux autres sources de capitaux internationaux est coûteux.<p> En conclusion, la crise financière de 2008-2009 a fait de l'amélioration des systèmes financiers la priorité de nombreuses politiques économiques. Dans cette perspective, notre travail apporte une contribution à une compréhension plus fine de l'importance de la finance pour l'économie, ainsi qu'une vision novatrice des déterminants des systèmes financiers. / Doctorat en Sciences économiques et de gestion / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished