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

This paper reviews the evidence of the impacts of micro-credit and micro-savings on poor people in sub-Saharan Africa

• From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
• Published: 1 January 2012

• Document Type: Journal Article
• Theme: Economic Growth and Social Change
• First published: 1 January 2012
• Authors: de Wet, T., van Rooyen, C. and Stewart, R.

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, women바카라 사이트檚 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.

There is a protocol for this systematic review

Citation

Van Rooyen, C.; Stewart, R.; de Wet, T. The Impact of Microfinance in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review of the Evidence. World Development (2012) 40 (11) 2249-2262. [DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2012.03.012]

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Published 1 January 2012