IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/wdevel/v40y2012i11p2249-2262.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Impact of Microfinance in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review of the Evidence

Author

Listed:
  • van Rooyen, C.
  • Stewart, R.
  • de Wet, T.

Abstract

Microfinance is seen as a key development tool, and despite the current deepening crisis within the industry, it continues to grow in sub-Saharan Africa. We systematically reviewed the evidence of the impacts of micro-credit and micro-savings on poor people in sub-Saharan Africa. We considered impacts on income, savings, expenditure, and the accumulation of assets, as well as non-financial outcomes including health, nutrition, food security, education, child labor, women’s empowerment, housing, job creation, and social cohesion. The available evidence shows that microfinance does harm, as well as good, to the livelihoods of the poor.

Suggested Citation

  • van Rooyen, C. & Stewart, R. & de Wet, T., 2012. "The Impact of Microfinance in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review of the Evidence," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(11), pages 2249-2262.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:40:y:2012:i:11:p:2249-2262
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2012.03.012
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X12000496
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.worlddev.2012.03.012?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Paul Mosley & June Rock, 2004. "Microfinance, labour markets and poverty in Africa: a study of six institutions," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 16(3), pages 467-500.
    2. Nava Ashraf & Xavier Giné & Dean Karlan, 2009. "Finding Missing Markets (and a Disturbing Epilogue): Evidence from an Export Crop Adoption and Marketing Intervention in Kenya," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 91(4), pages 973-990.
    3. Dean Karlan & Jonathan Zinman, 2010. "Expanding Credit Access: Using Randomized Supply Decisions to Estimate the Impacts," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 23(1), pages 433-464, January.
    4. Adams, Dale W & Von Pischke, J. D., 1992. "Microenterprise credit programs: Deja vu," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 20(10), pages 1463-1470, October.
    5. repec:pri:rpdevs:morduch_microfinance_poor is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Pascaline Dupas & Jonathan Robinson, 2013. "Savings Constraints and Microenterprise Development: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Kenya," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 5(1), pages 163-192, January.
    7. Shimamura, Yasuharu & Lastarria-Cornhiel, Susana, 2010. "Credit Program Participation and Child Schooling in Rural Malawi," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 567-580, April.
    8. Thorsten Beck & Asli Demirguc-Kunt & Ross Levine, 2004. "Finance, Inequality, and Poverty: Cross-Country Evidence," NBER Working Papers 10979, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Schuler, Sidney Ruth & Hashemi, Syed Mesbahuddin & Riley, Ann P., 1997. "The influence of women's changing roles and status in Bangladesh's fertility transition: Evidence from a study of credit programs and contraceptive use," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 563-575, January.
    10. Joseph Kimos Adjei & Thankom Arun & Farhad Hossain, 2009. "The Role of Microfinance in Asset-Building and Poverty Reduction: The Case of Sinapi Aba Trust of Ghana," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series 8709, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    11. Patrick Honohan & Thorsten Beck, 2007. "Making Finance Work for Africa," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6626, December.
    12. Daniel Makina & Louisa Malobola, 2004. "Impact assessment of microfinance programmes, including lessons from Khula Enterprise Finance," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(5), pages 799-814.
    13. James Copestake, 2002. "Inequality and the polarizing impact of microcredit: evidence from Zambia's copperbelt," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 14(6), pages 743-755.
    14. Paul Mosley & Linda Mayoux, 1999. "Questioning virtuous spirals: micro-finance and women's empowerment in Africa," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 11(7), pages 957-984.
    15. Marguerite S. Robinson, 2001. "The Microfinance Revolution," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 28956, December.
    16. J. Copestake & S. Bhalotra & S. Johnson, 2001. "Assessing the Impact of Microcredit: A Zambian Case Study," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(4), pages 81-100.
    17. Lucy Ssendi & Alistair R. Anderson, 2009. "Tanzanian Micro Enterprises and Micro Finance," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 18(1), pages 1-19, March.
    18. Farhad Hossain & Tonya Knight, 2008. "Financing the Poor: Can microcredit make a difference? Empirical observations from Bangladesh," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series 3808, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    19. Flore Gubert & François Roubaud, 2005. "Analyser l’impact d’un projet de Micro-finance : l’exemple d’ADéFI à Madagascar," Working Papers DT/2005/14, DIAL (Développement, Institutions et Mondialisation).
    20. Doocy, Shannon & Teferra, Shimeles & Norell, Dan & Burnham, Gilbert, 2005. "Credit program outcomes: coping capacity and nutritional status in the food insecure context of Ethiopia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 60(10), pages 2371-2382, May.
    21. Mosley, Paul & Hulme, David, 1998. "Microenterprise finance: Is there a conflict between growth and poverty alleviation?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 26(5), pages 783-790, May.
    22. Greg Fischer & Maitreesh Ghatak, 2011. "Spanning the Chasm: Uniting Theory and Empirics in Microfinance Research," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Beatriz Armendáriz & Marc Labie (ed.), The Handbook Of Microfinance, chapter 3, pages 59-75, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Simon Zaby, 2019. "Science Mapping of the Global Knowledge Base on Microfinance: Influential Authors and Documents, 1989–2019," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-21, July.
    2. Gutiérrez-Nieto, Begoña & Serrano-Cinca, Carlos, 2019. "20 years of research in microfinance: An information management approach," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 183-197.
    3. Elikplimi K. Agbloyor & Simplice A. Asongu & Peter Muriu, 2021. "Sustainability, Growth and Impact of MFIs in Africa," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 21/083, African Governance and Development Institute..
    4. Sefa K. Awaworyi, 2014. "The Impact of Microfinance Interventions: A Meta-analysis," Monash Economics Working Papers 03-14, Monash University, Department of Economics.
    5. Ranjula Bali Swain & Supriya Garikipati, 2019. "Microfinance in the Global South: Examining Evidence on Social Efficacy," Working Papers 201908, University of Liverpool, Department of Economics.
    6. James C. Brau & Gary M. Woller, 2004. "Microfinance: A Comprehensive Review of the Existing Literature," Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance, Pepperdine University, Graziadio School of Business and Management, vol. 9(1), pages 1-28, Spring.
    7. Akotey, Joseph Oscar & Adjasi, Charles K.D., 2016. "Does Microcredit Increase Household Welfare in the Absence of Microinsurance?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 380-394.
    8. Olga Gorelkina & Ioanna Grypari & Erin Hengel, 2019. "One strike and you’re out! The Master Lever’s effect on senatorial policy-making," Working Papers 201906, University of Liverpool, Department of Economics.
    9. Supriya Garikipati & Rebecca J. Docherty & Penelope A. Phillips-Howard, 2019. "What’s the bleeding problem? Policy and attitudes towards sustainable menstrual hygiene materials in India," Working Papers 201907, University of Liverpool, Department of Economics.
    10. Paul J. Salia, 2014. "The Effect of Microcredit on the Household Welfare (Empirical Evidences from Women Micro-entrepreneurs in Tanzania)," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 4(5), pages 259-272, May.
    11. Dan Brockington & Nicola Banks, 2014. "Exploring the Success of BRAC Tanzania’s Microcredit Programme," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series 20214, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    12. Anzoategui, Diego & Demirgüç-Kunt, Asli & Martínez Pería, María Soledad, 2014. "Remittances and Financial Inclusion: Evidence from El Salvador," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 338-349.
    13. Kwadwo Afriyie & John Kuumuori Ganle & Alexander Yao Segbefia & Pauline Kamau & Grace Wamue-Ngare, 2020. "Contextual Factors Which Affect the Success of Microcredit Programs Among Women in Ghana," Journal of Developing Societies, , vol. 36(2), pages 229-254, June.
    14. Hulme, David, 2000. "Impact Assessment Methodologies for Microfinance: Theory, Experience and Better Practice," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 79-98, January.
    15. Jones, Gareth A. & Dallimore, Anthea, 2009. "Wither participatory banking?: experiences with village banks in South Africa," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 23354, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    16. Brune, Lasse & Gine, Xavier & Goldberg, Jessica & Yang, Dean, 2011. "Commitments to save : a field experiment in rural Malawi," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5748, The World Bank.
    17. P. V. Viswanath, 2017. "Microcredit and Survival Microenterprises: The Role of Market Structure," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 6(1), pages 1-25, December.
    18. Hisaki KONO & Kazushi TAKAHASHI, 2010. "Microfinance Revolution: Its Effects, Innovations, And Challenges," The Developing Economies, Institute of Developing Economies, vol. 48(1), pages 15-73, March.
    19. Amendola,Alessandra & Boccia,Marinella & Mele,Gianluca & Sensini,Luca, 2016. "Financial access and household welfare : evidence from Mauritania," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7533, The World Bank.
    20. Mukhopadhyay, Jyoti Prasad, 2014. "Does access to microfinance affect consumption inequality? :evidence from a randomized controlled trial in Andhra Pradesh, India," MPRA Paper 58674, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:40:y:2012:i:11:p:2249-2262. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/worlddev .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.