Abstract
The political economy of financial inclusion stipulates how developmental actors guide positive intervention through normative governance ideals. Despite this, concerns such as governance failures that render the role of financial donors redundant persist in African economies. This limits democratic accountability between governments and financial institutions despite political institutions’ intervention. The financial systems approach may fail for lack of clarity regarding structures and incentives that shape the government and other stakeholders’ actions. The South African financial sector also fits into the overall structure of its political economy, since it considers how individuals and groups compete for power that upholds their survival within the finance sector. However, women’s survival in the finance sector tends to be overlooked. This chapter discusses the political economy of financial inclusion in South Africa, specifically focusing on political-economic issues of race, class and inequality, trade and investment, industrialisation, poverty patterns and state interventions and economic empowerment for women.
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Ojo, T.A. (2023). Benchmarking Financial Inclusion for Women in South Africa: Evolution and Lessons. In: The Politics of Financial Inclusion of Women in South Africa. Gender and Cultural Studies in Africa and the Diaspora. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-1847-8_5
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