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Impact of Microfinance Grants on Rural Development: A case study of Kavango East Regional Council

This study looked at the impact of microfinance grants on rural development in the Kavango East Region administered by the Kavango East Regional Council. The Kavango East Region is the poorest region in Namibia, with an unemployment rate that is higher than the national rate. With these statistics a...

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Main Author: Kavindja, Anna
Other Authors: Mlenga, Jere
Format: Thesis
Language:Eng
Published: Graduate School of Business (GSB) 2019
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access_status_str Open Access
author Kavindja, Anna
author2 Mlenga, Jere
author_browse Kavindja, Anna
Mlenga, Jere
author_facet Mlenga, Jere
Kavindja, Anna
author_sort Kavindja, Anna
collection Thesis
description This study looked at the impact of microfinance grants on rural development in the Kavango East Region administered by the Kavango East Regional Council. The Kavango East Region is the poorest region in Namibia, with an unemployment rate that is higher than the national rate. With these statistics as background, the microfinance grant was proposed as a vital tool in alleviating the poverty-stricken region and curbing the high unemployment rate. Poverty alleviation through asset accumulation and food security, financial inclusion through opening of business banking accounts, business growth and diversification were variables considered to indicate rural development. The literature indicates that microfinance has both positive and negative impacts on poor people‟s income by increasing and decreasing their incomes, respectively. Available evidence also indicates minimal proof that microfinance impacts job creation and should, therefore, not be promoted as a means to achieve long-term goals. A qualitative research methodology using the descriptive survey design was used to collect data. The analysis of the study shows that microfinance grants have not positively impacted rural development as anticipated; beneficiaries have not registered growth or diversification in their businesses. However, there has been a positive impact on financial inclusion variable as business banking accounts were opened. Overall, the positive impacts of microfinance grants are very minimal due to relatively small market sizes which reduce chances to accumulate asset from the business operations. The grants have however enabled food security as beneficiaries‟ businesses are more for subsistence than commercial purposes.
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language Eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:32:50.328Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2019
publishDateRange 2019
publishDateSort 2019
publisher Graduate School of Business (GSB)
publisherStr Graduate School of Business (GSB)
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spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/30382 Impact of Microfinance Grants on Rural Development: A case study of Kavango East Regional Council Kavindja, Anna Mlenga, Jere This study looked at the impact of microfinance grants on rural development in the Kavango East Region administered by the Kavango East Regional Council. The Kavango East Region is the poorest region in Namibia, with an unemployment rate that is higher than the national rate. With these statistics as background, the microfinance grant was proposed as a vital tool in alleviating the poverty-stricken region and curbing the high unemployment rate. Poverty alleviation through asset accumulation and food security, financial inclusion through opening of business banking accounts, business growth and diversification were variables considered to indicate rural development. The literature indicates that microfinance has both positive and negative impacts on poor people‟s income by increasing and decreasing their incomes, respectively. Available evidence also indicates minimal proof that microfinance impacts job creation and should, therefore, not be promoted as a means to achieve long-term goals. A qualitative research methodology using the descriptive survey design was used to collect data. The analysis of the study shows that microfinance grants have not positively impacted rural development as anticipated; beneficiaries have not registered growth or diversification in their businesses. However, there has been a positive impact on financial inclusion variable as business banking accounts were opened. Overall, the positive impacts of microfinance grants are very minimal due to relatively small market sizes which reduce chances to accumulate asset from the business operations. The grants have however enabled food security as beneficiaries‟ businesses are more for subsistence than commercial purposes. 2019-08-01T08:04:58Z 2019-08-01T08:04:58Z 2019 2019-07-31T08:40:34Z Master Thesis Masters MBA http://hdl.handle.net/11427/30382 Eng application/pdf Graduate School of Business (GSB) Faculty of Commerce
spellingShingle Kavindja, Anna
Impact of Microfinance Grants on Rural Development: A case study of Kavango East Regional Council
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Impact of Microfinance Grants on Rural Development: A case study of Kavango East Regional Council
title_full Impact of Microfinance Grants on Rural Development: A case study of Kavango East Regional Council
title_fullStr Impact of Microfinance Grants on Rural Development: A case study of Kavango East Regional Council
title_full_unstemmed Impact of Microfinance Grants on Rural Development: A case study of Kavango East Regional Council
title_short Impact of Microfinance Grants on Rural Development: A case study of Kavango East Regional Council
title_sort impact of microfinance grants on rural development a case study of kavango east regional council
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/30382
work_keys_str_mv AT kavindjaanna impactofmicrofinancegrantsonruraldevelopmentacasestudyofkavangoeastregionalcouncil