Investigating financial literacy to improve financial behaviour among Black consumers

Abstract

Due to South Africa’s high unemployment rate and large uneducated population, consumers’ low savings levels and high debt levels are of concern. Previous South African research in the domain of financial behaviour focused only on the population’s debt and savings behaviour and the statistics thereof. There is little research on identifying solutions to poor debt and savings behaviour, as well as improvements in financial literacy and behaviour. As it is essential to improve consumers’ financial literacy, increase their financial inclusion and change their financial behaviour to their financial benefit, it is important to investigate the relationships between these financial aspects. This exploratory study investigates aspects relating to financial literacy, financial inclusion and financial behaviour, specifically among black consumers in Nelson Mandela Bay. A total of 335 black consumers were respondents in an empirical investigation. The main results showed that saving and responsible spending behaviours can be improved as consumers’ financial knowledge and inclusion increase. Based on the results, the article presents conclusions and recommendations regarding the financial education necessary to improve aspects relating to financial literacy, financial inclusion and financial behaviour.