Deposits and financial sustainability of deposit-taking microfinance institutions: evidence from low income Sub-Saharan Africa
Zibusiso Moyo; Sophia Mukorera; Phocenah Nyatanga
Afro-Asian J. of Finance and Accounting, Vol. 14, No. 2 (2024) pp. 229 - 245
This study examined the relationship between deposits and financial sustainability of Deposit-taking Microfinance Institutions (DTMFIs) due to a number of such institutions having collapsed previously in Africa. Panel data spanning 2006 to 2017 from the Microfinance Information Exchange of 64 DTMFIs sampled across 18 Low Income Sub-Saharan Africa (LISSA) countries was utilised. Through probit regression, the study found that the likelihood of attaining financial sustainability by the LISSA DTMFIs is negatively affected by small scale deposits, unfavourable loan loss provisions, deteriorating loan portfolio quality and costly branch coverage. The study recommends low cost, large scale deposit operations, efficiency in managing operating expenses, credit enhancements and restrictive deposit-taking licencing.