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Micro-finance institutions (MFIs) and poverty reduction in South Africa: a case study of Ethekwini metropolitan municipality

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

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/23473
Date January 2017
CreatorsMkhize, Zonke Queeneth Pearl
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
FormatOnline resource (77 leaves), application/pdf

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