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SME finance in Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Beck, Thorsten
  • Cull, Robert

Abstract

This paper uses cross-country firm-level surveys to gauge access to financial services and the importance of financing constraints for African enterprises. The paper compares access to finance in Africa and other developing regions of the world, within Africa across countries, and across different groups of firms. It relates firms'access to finance to firm and banking system characteristics and discusses policy challenges.

Suggested Citation

  • Beck, Thorsten & Cull, Robert, 2014. "SME finance in Africa," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7018, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:7018
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    5. Aterido, Reyes & Beck, Thorsten & Iacovone, Leonardo, 2013. "Access to Finance in Sub-Saharan Africa: Is There a Gender Gap?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 102-120.
    6. Berger, Allen N. & Udell, Gregory F., 2006. "A more complete conceptual framework for SME finance," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(11), pages 2945-2966, November.
    7. Beck, Thorsten & Demirguc-Kunt, Asli & Levine, Ross, 2006. "Bank supervision and corruption in lending," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(8), pages 2131-2163, November.
    8. Thorsten Beck & Samuel Munzele Maimbo & Issa Faye & Thouraya Triki, 2011. "Financing Africa : Through the Crisis and Beyond," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 2355, December.
    9. Demirguc-Kunt, Asli & Klapper, Leora & Singer, Dorothe, 2013. "Financial inclusion and legal discrimination against women : evidence from developing countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6416, The World Bank.
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    11. Franklin Allen & Elena Carletti & Robert Cull & Jun Qian & Lemma Senbet & Patricio Valenzuela, 2014. "Resolving the African Financial Development Gap: Cross-Country Comparisons and a Within-Country Study of Kenya," NBER Chapters, in: African Successes, Volume III: Modernization and Development, pages 13-62, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    13. Clarke, George R.G. & Cull, Robert & Martinez Peria, Maria Soledad, 2006. "Foreign bank participation and access to credit across firms in developing countries," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 774-795, December.
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    16. Meghana Ayyagari & Asli Demirgüç-Kunt & Vojislav Maksimovic, 2008. "How Important Are Financing Constraints? The Role of Finance in the Business Environment," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 22(3), pages 483-516, November.
    17. R. Glenn Hubbard, 1998. "Capital-Market Imperfections and Investment," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 36(1), pages 193-225, March.
    18. Beck, T.H.L. & Demirgüc-Kunt, A. & Martinez Peria, M., 2011. "Banking financing for SME's : Evidence across countries and bank ownership types," Other publications TiSEM c4d491c9-2cc6-40f6-ad55-a, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    19. Levine, Ross, 2005. "Finance and Growth: Theory and Evidence," Handbook of Economic Growth, in: Philippe Aghion & Steven Durlauf (ed.), Handbook of Economic Growth, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 12, pages 865-934, Elsevier.
    20. Beck, Thorsten & Demirguc-Kunt, Asli & Maksimovic, Vojislav, 2006. "The influence of financial and legal institutions on firm size," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(11), pages 2995-3015, November.
    21. Berger, Allen N & Udell, Gregory F, 1995. "Relationship Lending and Lines of Credit in Small Firm Finance," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 68(3), pages 351-381, July.
    22. Enrica Detragiache & Thierry Tressel & Poonam Gupta, 2008. "Foreign Banks in Poor Countries: Theory and Evidence," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 63(5), pages 2123-2160, October.
    23. Atif Mian, 2006. "Distance Constraints: The Limits of Foreign Lending in Poor Economies," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 61(3), pages 1465-1505, June.
    24. Thorsten Beck & Asli Demirgüç‐Kunt & Vojislav Maksimovic, 2005. "Financial and Legal Constraints to Growth: Does Firm Size Matter?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 60(1), pages 137-177, February.
    25. Berg, Gunhild & Fuchs, Michael, 2013. "Bank financing of SMEs in five Sub-Saharan African countries : the role of competition, innovation, and the government," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6563, The World Bank.
    26. Thorsten Beck & Asli Demirgüç-Kunt & María Pería, 2011. "Bank Financing for SMEs: Evidence Across Countries and Bank Ownership Types," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 39(1), pages 35-54, April.
    27. Demirguc-Kunt, Asli & Love, Inessa & Maksimovic, Vojislav, 2006. "Business environment and the incorporation decision," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 30(11), pages 2967-2993, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Christian Hagin & Livingstone Divine Caesar, 2021. "The antecedents of success among small- and medium-sized enterprises: evidence from Ghana," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 11(1), pages 279-297, December.
    2. Kouladoum, Jean-Claude & Wirajing, Muhamadu Awal Kindzeka & Nchofoung, Tii N., 2022. "Digital technologies and financial inclusion in Sub-Saharan Africa," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(9).
    3. Vincent MASAKA, 2022. "Challenges Being Faced by Small and Medium Enterprises in Accessing Credit Facilities in Lusaka Province, Zambia," CECCAR Business Review, Body of Expert and Licensed Accountants of Romania (CECCAR), vol. 3(5), pages 49-61, May.
    4. Esho, Ebes & Verhoef, Grietjie, 2018. "The Funding Gap and the Financing of Small and Medium Businesses: An Integrated Literature Review and an Agenda," MPRA Paper 90153, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 21 Nov 2018.
    5. Marus Eton & Fabian Mwosi & Constant Okello-Obura & Abanis Turyehebwa & Gilbert Uwonda, 2021. "Financial inclusion and the growth of small medium enterprises in Uganda: empirical evidence from selected districts in Lango sub-region," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 1-23, December.
    6. Barthelmess Benedikt & Langlois Jean, 2020. "SME Financing in MENA: A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Multilateral and Bilateral Development Lenders’ Intermediated Lending Practices," Review of Middle East Economics and Finance, De Gruyter, vol. 16(3), pages 1-032, December.
    7. Brixiova, Zuzana & Kangoye, Thierry, 2016. "Start-Up Capital and Women's Entrepreneurship: Evidence from Swaziland," IZA Discussion Papers 10279, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Wondemhunegn Ezezew Melesse, 2019. "Change in employment level and financial constraint: evidence from Ethiopian manufacturing SMEs," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 21(2), pages 329-352, December.
    9. Ebrahim Endris & Andualem Kassegn, 2022. "The role of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to the sustainable development of sub-Saharan Africa and its challenges: a systematic review of evidence from Ethiopia," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-18, December.
    10. Sabwa, Nicholas & Collins, Julia, 2018. "Major developments affecting Africa’s trade performance: A summary of key literature," IFPRI book chapters, in: Africa agriculture trade monitor 2018, chapter 6, pages 110-130, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    11. Romain Houssa & Paul Reding & Albena Sotirova, 2017. "Methodological issues of an impact evaluation of development support in agriculture," BeFinD Working Papers 0120, University of Namur, Department of Economics.
    12. Koffi Elitcha, 2021. "The moderating role of stock markets in the bank competition-entrepreneurship relationship," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 1333-1360, April.
    13. Evans Kulu, 2023. "Financial stability gap and private investment nexus: Evidence from sub‐Saharan Africa," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 35(2), pages 239-250, June.
    14. Joseph Ochieng Onginjo & Zhou Dong Mei, 2023. "A study on the social and economic sustainability of rewards-based crowdfunding in Africa," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(9), pages 9619-9646, September.

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    Keywords

    Access to Finance; Banks&Banking Reform; Debt Markets; Bankruptcy and Resolution of Financial Distress; Microfinance;
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