Abstract
The study assesses the role of mobile phones and mobile banking in decreasing inequality in 52 African countries. The empirical procedure involves first, examining the income-redistributive effect of mobile phone penetration and then investigating the contribution of mobile banking services in this relationship. The findings suggest an equalizing income-redistributive effect of ‘mobile phone penetration’ and ‘mobile banking’, with a higher income-equalizing effect from mobile banking compared to mobile phone penetration. Poverty alleviation channels explaining this difference in inequality mitigating propensity are discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 34-52 |
| Journal | African Finance Journal |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2016 |
Bibliographical note
The full text is currently unavailable on the repository.Keywords
- Africa
- Banking
- Financial development
- Mobile phones
- Shadow economy
