Electronic Theses and Dissertations (Masters/MBA)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10539/37942

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    Assessing the role of Digital Technology in bridging the gender gap for women in South Africa’s Fintech industry
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Hassen, Zaahida; Magida, Ayanda
    Digital tech transforms finance and boosts inclusion. South Africa's fintech industry helps close gender gaps; research evaluates digital solutions to overcome barriers for women and promote progress in this evolving sector. Analysis shows how platforms and mobile banking improve inclusiveness for female empowerment towards financial equity across industries, including marginalised groups. This research aims to study how digital technology can reduce the gender gap in South Africa's fintech sector. The method used is quantitative, integrating the UTAUT framework and sampling 224 participants through a quota-based approach. Factors affecting women's acceptance of fintech are analyzed, including adoption levels, effort expectancy, social influence, enabling conditions, and behavioural intention for future trends among female professionals in the industry. The empirical analysis combined with experience-driven insights will enhance professional growth trajectories for underrepresented groups like females within larger organisational frameworks comprised mostly of elite bodies where access remains limited due to specific barriers hindering progressiveness. These efforts foster diversity, improve efficacy across value streams, and support the biodiversity agenda, increasing productivity when embraced rather than sidelined. South African women in fintech see digital tech as beneficial for financial inclusion and growth but face obstacles due to infrastructural and gender-specific work issues. Effort and social influence drive female utilisation of digital tech within the sector. Digital technology empowers South African fintech women for gender equality and economic growth. Suggestions include female-focused tech programs, inclusive regulatory policies, and collaborations between the government and private sector to promote diversity in fintech
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    Digitalisation and gender inclusion in financial services in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Smith, Talicia Lucia; Magida, Ayanda
    Digital transformation and increased digitalisation have been identified as significant opportunities for women’s participation and gender inclusion in the workforce to support substantial economic growth. This study explores the perceived role of gender inclusion during the rapid digitalisation of the world of work during the pandemic. This study further seeks to understand the experience of women leaders in the formal sector from 2019 to 2021 in South Africa (SA). An interpretive phenomenological approach was adopted for this study, using semi-structured interviews. The snowballing sampling method was used to reach women leaders across the financial services industry. The data was analysed using thematic analysis and a hybrid analytical approach to developing the code book and subsequent themes. The research findings indicated a delicate and complex relationship between digitalisation and gender inclusion influenced by the internal gender inclusion strategy, the digital workplace design, digitalenablers, social implications, culture and well-being of women leaders as they worked virtually. While women leaders experienced the rapid surge of digitalisation during the virtual working phenomenon as positive, there were pros and cons identified for women leaders working almost, ultimately impacting their ability to stay with organisations. While organisations offer world-class digital transformation strategies, invest in the best technologies, or leverage increased digitalisation to change how people work. The key takeaway is that with the complexities of human behaviour and the entrenched gender stereotypes in financial services, digitalisation may not be enough to keep women as active and contributing members of the future workforce