An evaluation of mobile banking as a tool for enhancing financial inclusion in Namibia: A case of FNB Namibia

dc.contributor.advisorWoyo, Elisha
dc.contributor.authorVan Wyk, Desery
dc.date.accessioned2025-08-07T07:04:42Z
dc.date.available2025-08-07T07:04:42Z
dc.date.issued2020
dc.descriptionA research thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Business Administration
dc.description.abstractFinancial inclusion is a multi-dimensional concept of financial development that enables affordable access through availability and equality of opportunities to access financial services, especially among previously disadvantaged social groups. Namibia has one of the most developed financial systems in Africa, and is blessed with a well run payment system. Yet, Namibia has failed to fully leverage its mobile penetration rate of 97% to deploy financial solutions that can provide an interoperable platform for financial inclusion. As such, this study uses data from a population of the more than 1,2 million mobile banking customers on the FNB Cell phone banking and E wallet platforms in the period July 2012 to December 2019 (89 months). However, the sample size was restricted by privacy concerns, which saw the study using 74% (66/89 months) of data in the period July 2012 to December 2017 (66 months). The study used a cross-sectional time-series econometric analysis to test Granger causality relationships between mobile banking and financial inclusion. The study found that at the 95% level of confidence, there were significant mean differences (MD) between the unbanked and banked platforms, in terms of value-added services, cash out ratios and financial inclusion channels on the mobile banking platforms. The study also found that among the four identified financial inclusion channels, only Profit Incentives and Financial Penetration channels could be enhanced with mobile banking. While, the other two channels: Financial Access and Account Ownership, influenced the rate of mobile phone adoption. The study concludes that the charge-based value added services provide the critical intermediation link as to how profit incentives can enhance both mobile banking services and financial inclusion in Namibia. The study recommends that regulators should provide profitability incentives to the banks and other e-money service-providers, as profitable mobile banking platforms can be used as effective tools for enhancing financial inclusion of the unbanked population
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11070/4043
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherUniversity of Namibia
dc.subjectFinancial inclusion
dc.subjectMobile money transfer
dc.subjectCell-phone banking
dc.subjectMobile wallets
dc.subjectUnbanked populations
dc.subjectNamibia
dc.subjectUniversity of Namibia
dc.titleAn evaluation of mobile banking as a tool for enhancing financial inclusion in Namibia: A case of FNB Namibia
dc.typeArticle
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