Analysing the financial needs addressed by South African consumers when using credit products

Abstract

Individuals in South African are experiencing increasing financial stressed due to the deterioration in the economy and restrictions imposed by the National Credit Act, No. 43 of 2005. The paper investigates the financial needs addressed by users of credit products. Human needs are firstly classified according to Alderfer’s ERG theory. Hereafter financial needs which individuals addressed when using credit products were analysed. The results indicate that consumers are also using credit products to address other financial needs than that for which the products were developed for. This could be partly due to the limitation in accessing appropriate credit products due to the requirements imposed by the credit legislation.