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The Role of Digital Financial Services in Enhancing Financial Inclusion Among Smallholder Farmers: A Case Study of Ndola District, Zambia


Authors : Chipo Ng'andu; James Mutambo

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 8 - August


Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/2k2uhcdy

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26aug1220

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.


Abstract : Financial inclusion remains a critical challenge for smallholder farmers (SHFs) in Zambia despite rapid growth in Digital Financial Services (DFS). This study empirically investigates the role of DFS in enhancing financial inclusion among SHFs in Ndola District, Zambia, and identifies key drivers and barriers to adoption and usage. A cross-sectional mixed-methods design was employed, combining quantitative data from 200 SHFs with qualitative data from 4 Focus Group Discussions and 10 Key Informant Interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis.

Keywords : Digital Financial Services, Financial Inclusion, Smallholder Farmers, Mobile Money, Binary Logit Model, Zambia.

References :

  1. Bank of Zambia. (2022). National Financial Inclusion Strategy 2022-2026. Lusaka: BoZ.
  2. Chanda, J., Mwange, A., Matandiko, G., & Sylvia, A. M. (2026). Assessing the levels of mobile financial technology adoption among small-scale farmers in Zambia. Journal of Agriculture, Aquaculture, and Animal Science, 3(1), 1-8.
  3. Demirgüç-Kunt, A., Klapper, L., Singer, D., Ansar, S., & Hess, J. (2018). The Global Findex Database 2017: Measuring financial inclusion and the fintech revolution. World Bank.
  4. FinScope Zambia. (2015). FinScope Zambia 2015 consumer survey report. Lusaka.
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  13. Ogunfolaju, M. O., Kolawole, A. E., Akangbe, J. A., Onyemenam, J., Okonta, O., & Ojo, I. E. (2026). Determinants of digital financial service usage among smallholder farmers in North Central Nigeria. JZU Natural Science.
  14. Ouma, S. A., Odongo, T. M., & Were, M. (2017). Mobile financial services and financial inclusion: Is it a boon for savings mobilization? Review of Development Finance, 7(1), 29-35.
  15. Suri, T., & Jack, W. (2016). The long-run poverty and gender impacts of mobile money. Science, 354(6317), 1288-1292.
  16. World Bank. (2022). Global Financial Development Report 2022: Financial Inclusion for Recovery and Growth. World Bank.
  17. World Bank. (2023). World Development Indicators: Zambia. Retrieved from https://data.worldbank.org/country/zambia
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Financial inclusion remains a critical challenge for smallholder farmers (SHFs) in Zambia despite rapid growth in Digital Financial Services (DFS). This study empirically investigates the role of DFS in enhancing financial inclusion among SHFs in Ndola District, Zambia, and identifies key drivers and barriers to adoption and usage. A cross-sectional mixed-methods design was employed, combining quantitative data from 200 SHFs with qualitative data from 4 Focus Group Discussions and 10 Key Informant Interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis.

Keywords : Digital Financial Services, Financial Inclusion, Smallholder Farmers, Mobile Money, Binary Logit Model, Zambia.

Paper Submission Last Date
31 - October - 2026

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