Impediments Confronting Black African Women in South Africa Regarding Bank Loans: Necessitate Gender-Sensitive and Humanities-Informed Interventions
Juliet Kamwendo · Munyaradzi Chidarikire ORCID ↗
International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science · 2026 · Vol. 15 / Issue 5 · 277-286
Publication metrics
External links open provider records or DOI searches. Provider counts are not combined. Mendeley readership measures saves, not citations.
Dimensions
Live provider badge. If unavailable, use the Dimensions link above.
Observed 21 Oct 2026, 07:22 UTC
Observed 21 Oct 2026 07:23 UTC
OpenAlex and Mendeley observations refresh on article visits, at most once per 24 hours. Unavailable data is not zero. Google Scholar opens a DOI search.
Citations received by this article, grouped by the year of the citing work. Crossref and OpenAlex lifetime totals remain separate in Publication metrics.
2017–2026 Annual history last updated:
Citations received
OpenAlex · year of the citing work
Hover over a year or focus the chart and use arrow keys to inspect values.
2017–2026 annual-history window. 2026 is year to date. Unknown years have gaps.
View data & coverage
2026 is incomplete. Within a successfully fetched ten-year window, omitted years mean zero. Years beyond a saved observation’s window remain unknown (—). Older citations are excluded, so this chart’s sum may differ from the OpenAlex lifetime total. The date above belongs to this annual history; an unsuccessful refresh keeps the previous observation.
Abstract
This study presents a thematic literature review aimed at understanding the systemic barriers that Black African women face when accessing bank loans in South Africa, as well as the critical role that the humanities can play in addressing these issues. In the context of the persistent economic instability facing South Africa, the small business sector has become a vital source of income and resilience for Black women. Despite this, their economic potential remains constrained by limited access to bank loans. Guided by an intersectionality framework, the study discusses the systemic barriers that contribute to the financial hardships and exclusion of Black African women. It further explores how gender-sensitive and humanities-informed approaches can contribute to more inclusive financial services. This includes emphasizing the need for culturally sensitive financial products, bias awareness training, and supportive policy frameworks. The review calls for strategic interventions to improve economic empowerment among Black African women entrepreneurs. Central to these interventions is the role of humanities faculties in facilitating Short Learning Programs and Skills Training Programs that provide business training, helping women manage finances and scale their ventures sustainably through enhanced financial literacy. This increased knowledge can improve their chances of success, even in the absence of formal funding. Conducting Afrocentric research is another avenue to uncover the barriers and address the current financial exclusion that Black women in South Africa experience. Gender equality in financial inclusion must remain one of the fundamental building blocks for steady and positive economic growth in South Africa.
Keywords: {'name': 'Black African Women, Business, Bank Loans, Humanities, South African.'}
Authors & affiliations
Juliet Kamwendo
University of the Free State
Munyaradzi Chidarikire
Stellenbosch University
Deposited references
Supplied references, not a list of publications citing this article.
No reference list supplied.