Financial inclusion and small enterprise growth in Africa: emerging perspectives and research agenda

Abstract

Purpose

The purposes of the paper are to review the stream of studies that link financial inclusion to small enterprise growth in Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) to identify the research gaps they provide and to prepare an agenda for future research in the field.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs systematic literature search method to identify relevant literature from journals. The study then adopts a narrative approach for the review, highlighting the findings from the prior studies and gaps requiring research attention.

Findings

The discussions reveal that there is a need for future studies that can unpack small enterprise growth determinants, identify growth-enabling entrepreneurial characteristics and examine the contextual variabilities that shape their effectiveness.

Originality/value

There is currently no comprehensive/integrated review exploring the link between financial inclusion and small enterprise growth in SSA. The review, therefore, provides insights that contribute to the development of this stream of research.

Citation

Kuada, J. (2022), "Financial inclusion and small enterprise growth in Africa: emerging perspectives and research agenda", African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, Vol. 13 No. 3, pp. 402-417. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJEMS-05-2021-0230