South Africa Financial Diaries

GAFIS South Africa Financial Diaries

The South African Financial Diaries tracked the financial behavior of 67 households over the course of about 9 months.  Working together with Standard Bank as part of the GAFIS project, the BFA team introduced banking products to participating households, tracking take-up and use of these instruments.

The Financial Diaries: Investigating the Financial Lives of the Poor in South Africa

This study by FinMark Trust, Ford Foundation, and Micro Finance Regulatory Council of South Africa provides a snapshot of the financial lives of poor South Africans. The survey covered urban, peri-urban and rural areas and recorded detailed daily cash flows of 166 households over a 13 month period between November 2003 and December 2004.

Tembisa Small Business Financial Diaries

The Tembisa Small Business Financial Diaries conducted by BFA Global and commissioned by Standard Bank Community Banking was a study designed to better understand the cash flow profiles and behavior arising from the use of a Standard Bank loan.

South African Financial Diaries and the Mzansi Initiative: Five Years Later

This study conducted by BFA Global and commissioned by FinMark Trust examined the usage and savings patterns of the Mzansi account holders in South Africa. The Mzansi account is an entry-level bank account that was launched collaboratively by South Africa’s four largest commercial banks and the state-owned Postbank in 2004.

Key findings include:

• General increase in income across the sample;
• Increase in income appears to have translated into higher rates of savings;
• Substantial parts of new savings go to bank accounts;
• Evidence is weak on whether increase in bank usage and savings can be attributed to Mzansi;
• Proximity of branches increases bank usage;
• Factors such as better roads between villages and towns may contribute to bank usage.