The global COVID-19 impact on the financial services industry in South Africa

South African Journal of Information Management

 
 
Field Value
 
Title The global COVID-19 impact on the financial services industry in South Africa
 
Creator Cele, Simphiwe K. Mlitwa, Nhlanhla B.W.
 
Subject Business Management, Business, Leadership, Business Administration; Business Science, Technology Studies, Innovations Studies fintechs; financial technologies; impact; COVID-19; adoption; lockdown; convenience; accelerate adoption
Description Background: In December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was detected in Wuhan, China. This virus quickly spread throughout different regions and was declared a pandemic late in January 2020. The spread of the virus has affected every aspect of human life as previously known.Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the adoption of fintechs in South Africa.Method: Eighteen financial services experts were interviewed using semi-structured interviews to collect data, and ATLAS.ti 28 was used to analyse the data.Results: During the lockdowns, the industry expedited the implementation of fintech to sustain business operations. Online shopping, mobile payments, and digital banking experienced a surge in adoption as individuals steered clear of crowded stores and bank branches. The upswing in online shopping influenced the embrace of mobile payments and contactless cashless transactions. Moreover, with limited access to physical bank branches, there was a marked shift towards digital banking.Conclusion: Fintech companies have introduced consumers to alternative financial technologies. The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of fintech as an essential means of transacting and banking. One limitation of the study is its timing because it was conducted during and immediately after the pandemic, therefore, it does not account for the long-term effects of the pandemic on the financial services industry. Consequently, future research could explore the impact of COVID-19 on the industry 5-10 years after the pandemic to evaluate any significant influence on the industry’s transformation.Contribution: This study will assist the financial services industry to better respond to catastrophes such as COVID-19.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor University of South Africa, Graduate School of Business Leadership, Professor Vusi Gumede
Date 2024-09-30
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Interviews
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/sajim.v26i1.1887
 
Source South African Journal of Information Management; Vol 26, No 1 (2024); 11 pages 1560-683X 2078-1865
 
Language eng
 
Relation
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https://sajim.co.za/index.php/sajim/article/view/1887/2984 https://sajim.co.za/index.php/sajim/article/view/1887/2985 https://sajim.co.za/index.php/sajim/article/view/1887/2986 https://sajim.co.za/index.php/sajim/article/view/1887/2987
 
Coverage — — All genders; All ethnic groups
Rights Copyright (c) 2024 Simphiwe K. Cele, Nhlanhla B.W. Mlitwa https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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