Diagnostic study of challenges faced by cross-border traders

FinMark Trust (FMT) commissioned Genesis to carry out a scoping exercise to understand the size, state and dynamics of informal cross-border trade between South Africa and Mozambique, and Eswatini and Zimbabwe.

The research identified key barriers to formalisation and inhibitors to access and usage of formal financial services, particularly for women and youth as well as opportunities that lay in advances in digital finance.

In particular, Genesis investigated current cross-border payments and the potential of the digitisation of border services to reduce the cost and difficulty of doing cross-border business.

The findings from the research were published, Digitisation of Financial Products for Cross-Border Traders, and used by FMT to direct its medium term programming.