The Impact of the ‘Go Cashless Campaign’ on Mobile Money Adoption in Chikankata District, Zambia

Mobile money can facilitate financial inclusion in Zambian rural areas, which usually have high mobile phone use and steady remittance activities. Most of the citizens in rural areas of Zambia meet the minimum technological requirements to use mobile money; however, mobile money adoption in these areas is relatively low. The purpose of this study was primarily to assess the impact of the ‘Go Cashless Campaign’ on mobile money adoption in Chikankata District, Zambia, with specific focus on the Chikankata Mission area. For this purpose, the study analysed 139 participants, broken down as follows: 112 ordinary mobile money users and 27 small-scale businesses that use mobile money. The objectives of the study were to determine the level of awareness of the Go Cashless Campaign in Chikankata, identify drivers and barriers of mobile money adoption, and estimate differences across demographic groups. The study used primary and secondary data, employed a pragmatism research philosophy and a mixed-methods approach. Data were collected using a survey questionnaire administered by the researcher to respondents sampled through purposive and stratified random sampling techniques. The study provided evidence-based recommendations for improving digital financial literacy, strengthening the regulatory framework and enhancing rural financial inclusion. The study further contributed to mobile money operators’ knowledge base from insights into factors that influence mobile money adoption, guiding the design of targeted promotional strategies that would improve network distribution as well as enhance reliability in rural districts like Chikankata. The research also provided empirical evidence from a rural Zambian district.