Payments and Money Transfer Behavior of Sub-Saharan Africans

Abstract

Payments and Money Transfer Behavior of Sub-Saharan Africans offers an in-depth look at the payment behavior of Sub-Saharan Africans, based on survey results from 11 African nations. A special focus is put on the payment behavior of the poorest parts of the population and those living in rural areas.This project leverages Gallup’s worldwide research initiative to understand better the payment behavior of Sub-Saharan Africans. Through its World Poll project, Gallup conducts nationally representative surveys on an ongoing basis in more than 150 countries and areas to provide a scientific window into the thoughts and behaviors of 98% of the Earth's population. The World Poll is the only global study of its kind. The data for this study consists of a module of about 30 questions on payments added to the World Poll surveys of 1,000 adults in South Africa, Zambia, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sierra Leone, Botswana, Mali, and Rwanda. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provided support for this project.Gallup conducted the surveys from June to October 2011. Questions covered respondents’ payment behaviors through services such as money transfers, international remittances, government and wage payments, and utilities, and other bills. The survey did not include questions on local money transfers. Instead, respondents were asked about payments involving distant counterparties (i.e., living in different areas or cities) during the 30 days prior to the survey. Respondents who reported being payers, payees, or both were asked follow-up questions about the distribution channels used to send or receive money: cash sent by a bus or a courier, bank transfers, wire service, or mobile phone-based payments.The survey also inquired about whether the practice of traveling to personally deliver cash payments was still common in Sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, the survey included questions about the sending and receiving of international remittances. Respondents were also asked to differentiate between cash and non-cash payments and between payments made in person from those payments made remotely. The survey also included questions about the sending and receiving of domestic and international remittances.