Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management (ETDs)

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    The implementation and practical issues of loan loss provisioning under IFRS 9 in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Muroyiwa, Deysel Tichakunda; Brahmbhatt, Yogesh
    Purpose: The study conducts a thematic evaluation of IFRS 9 by focusing on the assessment of credit risk and loan loss provisioning. The aim of the study is to investigate the post- implementation and practical issues that are currently being faced when accounting for ECLs under IFRS 9. This study makes a valuable theoretical contribution by providing primary evidence on the operationalisation issues of loan loss provisioning under IFRS 9. More specifically, this investigation could be beneficial for standard setters, regulators as well as banks, and other financial entities. Research methodology: The study employs a qualitative research approach and semi- structured interviews were conducted as the primary means of data collection. Using both purposive and convenience sampling techniques, a total of ten participants were selected to take part in the study. The data gathered during the interview process was transcribed, analysed, and interpreted using thematic data analysis. Four themes emerged from the data analysis procedure, which are: i) Transitional process; ii) Impact of the transitional process; iii) Governance, processes and controls, and; iv) IFRS 9 impairment modelling judgements. These themes were analysed using verbatim extracts obtained from the interviews. Findings: The study elaborated on two main recent evolutions of financial instrument systems, namely IAS 39 and IFRS 9. Under IAS 39, the research highlighted that there is no recognition of expected losses stemming from future events. Financial institutions were required to deal with losses only after the occurrence of a negative event, already affecting credit quality. The recently introduced IFRS 9, which came into force in January 2018, marked a paradigm shift from incurred loss to expected loss but differed at the moment at which expected losses are recognized as it demanded to account for the expected losses in the next 12 months as long as the asset did not show a significant increase in risk, thereby triggering the recognition of the ECL for the remaining lifetime. The importance of applying reasonable judgement guided by and within conceptual or standard-level boundaries was also discussed in the study. It was also argued that IFRS 9 places great responsibility on the judgement of prudential supervisors mostly because of their role in ensuring the accurate use and implementation of IFRS 9. Their role mostly involves a thorough assessment of banks to determine whether appropriate credit risk management practices are implemented, assessing whether the calculation and measurement of loan loss provisioning are adequate, evaluating whether adequate policies are in place for the early identification of problem assets, and ensuring whether there is consistency in the application of the new accounting standard across institutions. With regards to the issue of preparedness in the transition to IFRS 9, the respondents outlined many activities such as workshops, presentations, and training by various experts in the accounting, statistical, economic, and actuarial fields to better prepare users of IFRS 9. Although numerous benefits come with the implementation and transition from IAS 39 to IFRS 9, entities also faced huge challenges. This was unanimously revealed by all the participants as they were in complete agreement that the implementation of IFRS 9 was far more complex than that of IAS 39. These challenges include issues in data and modelling, systems infrastructure, governance and control, cost, and vagueness. Following the challenges been faced, the study also revealed the importance of governance and controls through which financial institutions have to strike the right balance between building a sustainable revenue proposition and ensuring regulatory compliance. The study also revealed 3 key judgement areas of IFRS 9 that have been applied in the impairment of ECLs. Because financial institutions were given latitude to make different judgements when modelling IFRS impairment provisions, the researcher identified that there is alignment and divergences in the identified judgements areas. These judgement areas include the applicable definitions of default, the determining factors in SICR and the structure of forward looking macroeconomic variables. There are also divergences and inconsistencies present in the application of certain key judgement areas in IFRS 9 impairment modelling that was highlighted by some of the participants Originality Value: Studies that pertain to the post-implementation and practical issues of loan loss provisioning under IFRS 9 in South Africa are by no means exhaustive and very limited in number. This study, therefore, contributes to the limited body of interpretive, non-positivist financial reporting research being performed in South Africa.
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    Leadership style and supervisory behaviour on employee wellbeing and performance at two Retail Banks in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022) Harris, Candy
    This study investigates leadership style and supervisory behaviour on employee wellbeing and performance at two retail banks in South Africa. The study aims to contribute to the existing body of knowledge on management and leadership and with this, provide additional insight into the importance of wellbeing within the two banks. The concepts of motivation and supervisory behaviours were explored in relation to different styles of leadership while the importance of employee wellbeing was further investigated in relation to performance. The study was conducted and analysed using quantitative data that was collected through an online questionnaire. The sample size included 144 employees from two Retail Banks. Most of the sample included back-office managers, professional bankers and analysts which included 50% from Retail Bank A, and the other 50% were from Retail Bank B, both in Sandton, Johannesburg. The study found that democratic and transformational leadership styles were most effective at increasing employee motivation and employee performance. These two forms of leadership styles have a positive influence on productivity, job satisfaction, and overall employee performance. It was also found that the autocratic leadership style had negatively affected supervisory behaviour. Autocratic leadership style demotivated employees causing higher levels of job dissatisfaction. Relationships between supervisory behaviour and employee wellbeing together with employee performance were also identified.
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    Financial Risk in Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions for Southern African Development Community Banks
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Makhura, Sedise; Totowa, Jacques
    This study investigates the effect of cross-border mergers and acquisitions on financial risk and bank performance in the Southern African Development (SADC) region, where economic uncertainties are prevalent. Focusing on credit, market, and liquidity risks, the analysis draws on data across 14 bank cross-border mergers and acquisitions between 2002 and 2018. The fixed effects model used in this study revealed statistically significant relationships between performance, measured as the principal component variable of return on equity (ROE) and return on earning assets (ROEA); and specific financial risk factors, particularly non- performing loans to total loans as the credit risk proxy and net loans to total assets as the liquidity risk proxy. Firm size also demonstrated a significant relationship to performance. Although the aggregate financial risk variable did not present any statistically significant impact on performance, liquidity risk emerged as the decisive factor in determining bank performance. An increased loan-to-asset ratio was associated with deteriorated bank performance, highlighting the importance of managing liquidity risk effectively. These findings suggest that banks in the SADC region involved in cross-border mergers should reassess their risk management strategies and prioritise liquidity and credit risk management to improve performance and ensure operational sustainability in the SADC region.
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    Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Legislation’s (B-BBEE) Role in Evincing Financial Inclusion in South Africa's Banking Industry
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Khomunala, Avhasei; Horne, Renee
    The study aims to analyse the social and economic transformation brought about by the Broad- Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Act 53 of 2003, as amended by Act 46 of 2013. This delves into the impacts of the Amended Financial Sector Code (FS Code) on the banking industry, particularly analysing the effects of the Empowerment Financing (FS600) and Access to Financial Services (FS700) elements. The first objective explores the intricacies of South Africa’s policy structures and historical backdrop of the country that could potentially impact the decision-making process of the financial industry when executing transformative initiatives. The second objective is to recognise the constraints impeding the achievement of financial inclusivity within the banking sector and evaluate the influence of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B- BBEE) legislation in relation to the Amended FS Code with regards to the Banking industry . The research recommends a revision in the monitoring approach of the B-BBEE legislation in South Africa by drawing upon insights from international leaders and utilizing these discoveries to offer effective strategies for enhancing the involvement of marginalized communities. A quantitative research methodology was deployed by the extraction of secondary data for studying Bank’s financial inclusion initiatives and primary data through questionnaires disseminated to Beneficiaries of the two elements by means of targeting students of University of the Witwatersrand and professionals on LinkedIn. Through its quantitative assessment, descriptive statistics, Crosstabs, Chi-square analysis, and a summary of the results and explanation was provided. The comprehensive analysis of the South African Banking Industry as implementors of financial inclusion initiatives demonstrates significant advancements and positive trends. Furthermore, the dissertation normality tests, revealing significant departures from normal distribution assumptions for specific variables and residing area levels
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    Credit growth and its impact on profitability and liquidity in the local Banking Industry of South Africa and the United Kingdom
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022) Pillay, Melissa Dianne; Van Wyk, Liandi; Gomez , Samantha
    The study aims to review the impact of credit growth on local bank profitability and liquidity in both South Africa (SA) and the United Kingdom (UK) between 2015 and 2020. A quantitative approach is used in the study, using descriptive statistics and panel regression analysis. The sample data were extracted from The Banker database; this is a key source of data and analysis for the world’s banking sector, South African Reserve Bank (SARB), Statistics SA, and Trading Economics. Explanatory variables for profitability in the panel regression analysis include return on average assets (ROAA), return on average equity (ROAE), total assets, equity assets, loan assets, cost- to-income, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate, Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), consumer price index (CPI), the interest rate on loans, interest rate margin (IRM), unemployment rates, and credit growth. Explanatory variables for liquidity in the panel regression include ROAE, total assets, equity assets, GDP growth rate, CPI, interest rate on loans (IRL), IRM, unemployment, and credit growth. The findings indicate that credit growth is insignificant for bank profitability and liquidity in SA and the UK, so no relationship exists. The main issue is not credit growth per se but the combination of high credit growth, low provisioning, and looser lending. Based on the findings, a negative relationship exists between cost-to-income and bank profitability, reflecting that a higher cost-to-income ratio does decrease bank profitability in both SA and the UK. Other variables for SA were statistically significant: equity assets, total assets, the cost-to-income ratio, and GDP growth rate. In the UK, the following other variables were statistically significant: loan assets, total assets, cost-to-income, GDP growth rate, HHI, ROAE, CPI, and IRM. Further research can focus on expanding the period and the countries reviewed to assess credit growth in more depth.
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    Political risk and bank capital structure in emerging market economies
    (2020) Mukwapatira, Arthur
    This paper shows that banks play a crucial role (resource allocation) in the functioning of every economy, more so for developing economies where capital markets are not well developed and, in some cases, non-existent. Drawing from existing literature, we show that capital structure is an important determinant of bank performance and that political risk influences the choice of how much and what sort of debt banks employ. We show that heightened political risk increases the cost of debt, especially long-term debt thereby influencing the amount of employed debt versus equity, that is, capital structure. This paper shows that, relative to developed economies, developing economies experience more political risk. Another important finding is that, contrary to common belief, banks do rely on non-deposit debt to finance their activities, to an extent that, factors such as political risk, that affect the availability and cost of debt, directly impact banks’ decisions, performance and efficiency. We precisely explain how capital structure affects performance and demonstrate the exact channels through which political risk influences the debt-equity mix.