Financing innovative development of the African economies: the role of digitalization and financial innovations

The article examines the relationship between financial innovation (mobile banking) variables in sub-Saharan Africa. Mobile banking (also known as mobile money) is one of the main financial innovations in the sub-Saharan region, and it is a system through which non-bank residents (residents without bank accounts, etc.) receive financial services. The overall importance of financial innovation in today’s digital and knowledge-based economy, and indeed, innovative development, inspired this study. Using a partial linear regression model, we analysed the International Monetary Fund data set, the World Bank’s national economic data, and mobile banking data from GSMA for the period from 2011 to 2017. A negative correlation was found between these variables and growth, as well as financial development, but a positive relationship was established between financial development and economic development. This positive relationship re-confirms the argument that financial development affects economic growth. It is recommended that policy makers develop and implement the necessary policy tools that can promote this form of financial innovation, and thus link its benefits to the national economy in general.