African Journal of Gender and Women Studies

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 3, March 2026 | pp. 9–16
DOI: 10.46882/AJGWS2026000200

Article Type: Full Length Research Paper

Title: Fintech Adoption and Financial Inclusion Dynamics Among Female Cross-Border Traders
 

Names of Authors: Fatoumata Diallo¹, Joy Chanda²
 

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Economics and Development Studies, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria, ²School of Business, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

Abstract: Informal cross-border trade remains a major economic driver in West and Southern Africa, yet female traders face severe liquidity constraints and unsafe physical cash transit hazards. This study analyzes the adoption rate of cross-border mobile wallet applications among a sample of N = 520 female traders. Quantitative field metrics reveal that migrating to digital transaction platforms reduced cross-border currency conversion losses by an average margin of delta = minus 14.5 percent. Multiple regression analysis indicates that digital platform usage significantly predicts monthly enterprise capital growth velocity (t = 5.24, p < 0.001, R² = 0.52). However, structural literacy barriers limit advanced feature utilization among 38 percent of the cohort. The paper concludes that regulatory harmonization of cross-border fintech policies is vital to securing grassroots female asset accumulation.

Keywords: Fintech adoption, Financial inclusion, Cross-border trade, Mobile wallets, Women entrepreneurs

Manuscript Timeline: Received: 12 December 2025, Revised: 15 January 2026, Accepted: 05 February 2026, Published: 15 March 2026

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