The Zimbabwean banking sector has experienced several tumultuous challenges since 2000. This is owing chiefly to the political and economic challenges the country has experienced. Poorly conceived and ill-timed policies have also wreaked havoc in the Zimbabwean banking sector. Financial consumers have sometimes lost their savings to hyper-inflation or overnight policy changes in Zimbabwe. The change in currencies is a good example of how financial consumers have seen their deposits and savings at banks and other related financial institutions eroded to nothing. In 2018, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) issued a directive for all banks to convert all deposits made prior to October 2018 from the United States (US) dollar denomination to the Zimbabwean dollar (bond notes and coins). This was done on an exchange rate of one US dollar as to one Zimbabwean dollar, yet in reality, the local currency had been devalued. The RBZ directive left individuals and corporates reeling from exchange losses. The directive was akin to a heist and many people lost trust and confidence in the Zimbabwean banking sector. While many financial consumers suffered in silence, some decided to take their banks to court, demanding a reimbursement of their deposits in the currency in which they deposited or alternatively, the equivalent of the original deposit using the correct exchange rate. This article examines the role of the courts in upholding the rights of financial consumers in the Zimbabwean banking sector in the light of the Penelope case. It also discusses how the Zimbabwean courts could assist in preserving the sanctity of the bank-client relationship among banks and financial customers. In addition, the article explores the role of the courts in challenging unjust laws that affect financial consumers' investments in banks. The strengths and weaknesses of the Zimbabwean banking regulatory framework are further discussed to assess if it is robust enough to protect financial consumers. The article recommends that the courts should objectively set aside unjust laws in the interest of justice to enable banks and other financial institutions to honour their contractual obligations. Policymakers should not adopt poor policies that infringe upon financial consumers' rights.

Money laundering and related financial crimes, such as fraud and terrorism financing, pose a significant threat to the integrity and stability of South African financial markets. This article explores the application and use of artificial intelligence (AI) to detect and prevent money laundering in South African banking institutions. The implementation of big data technologies, data processing analytics and AI could enhance the detection and prevention of money laundering activities in South Africa's banking sector. AI should be carefully utilised to improve the detection of suspicious activities and the accuracy of financial intelligence, and to combat evolving money laundering techniques. The article also examines the benefits and challenges of implementing AI as an anti-money laundering (AML) measure in the South African banking sector. These include the need for quality data, integration with existing regulatory systems, regulatory compliance and ethical considerations. The article highlights the potential use of AI in transaction monitoring, customer due diligence, outcomes-based risk assessment and the improved detection of suspicious transactions. This could be done by utilising AI to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of AML measures. The importance of effective coordination between banking institutions, regulatory authorities and law enforcement bodies is also highlighted as a key component of leveraging AI to combat money laundering and related financial crimes in South Africa's banking sector.

Cartels are the most egregious of competition law transgressions, because they entail a concerted effort on the part of cartel members to deliberately distort the market through price fixing, bid rigging, market allocation and constraining the supply of goods and services. Despite efforts by national competition authorities in various countries to combat cartelism, cartels have proved to have long tentacles, often extending beyond borders and morphing into "cross-border cartels". This contribution discusses one of the major challenges that cross-border cartels poses to competition authorities, that of prosecutorial and penal jurisdiction. The note focusses on the "banking cartel" that has been and still is the subject of contentious litigation. In March 2023 the Competition Tribunal (the Tribunal) handed down judgment in the matter of the Competition Commission of South Africa v Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Designated Activity Company [2023] ZACT 26 (30 March 2023). There were several questions in the matter, including the jurisdiction of the South African competition authorities to investigate and prosecute firms not incorporated or operating in South Africa (pure peregrini). The Competition Commission (the Commission) had initiated proceedings in the Tribunal against a host of banks for alleged cartel conduct, and some of the respondent banks raised objections and exceptions relating to the jurisdiction of the South African competition authorities. The note observes that while national competition authorities may have prosecutorial jurisdiction against cross-border cartels, there is still a challenge in enforcing an order where cartels are non-resident in the country. The contribution also notes potential challenges to cartel enforcement on the African continent in light of the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Due to the removal of various trade barriers, there is likely to be a rise in cross-border competition issues, including cross-border mergers and cross-border cartels. The note therefore discusses a pertinent issue, that of jurisdiction, which may well be a challenge within the AfCFTA.

Abstract The current context in which companies operate has meant that financing is offered in a different way than the traditional one. Technology has made investment and financing alternatives appear that are aimed at reducing financial costs and access to credit by MSMEs in Peru and Latin America. The objective of this research was to establish if the MSMEs of the Piura Region, Peru, are willing to demand financing through Crowdlending. The hypothesis that was raised was aimed at confirming that MSMEs are willing to demand financing through Crowdlending. To test this hypothesis, 382 surveys were applied to MSMEs from the different provinces of the Piura Region. The research was quantitative, descriptive and longitudinal. The perceptions of MSME entrepreneurs regarding Crowdlending were collected from the perspective of financial costs, the speed of access to credit and the flexibility of credit conditions. Ignorance of these financing alternatives and distrust in virtual transactions could have conditioned the answers. The results showed that the majority of entrepreneurs are willing to demand financing through Crowdlending, despite the fact that they perceive that access to credit would be slow, the financial cost low and that there would be high flexibility in the credit conditions to be demanded.

Resumen El contexto actual en que se desenvuelven las empresas ha propiciado que el financiamiento sea ofertado de una manera distinta al tradicional. La tecnología ha permitido que aparezcan alternativas de inversión y financiamiento que se orientan a disminuir los costos financieros y el acceso al crédito por parte de las mipymes en el Perú y América Latina. El objetivo de esta investigación fue establecer si las mipymes de la región Piura, Perú, están dispuestas a demandar financiamiento a través del crowdlending. La hipótesis pretendía confirmar que las mipymes están dispuestas a demandar financiamiento a través del crowdlending. Para contrastar esta hipótesis se aplicaron 382 encuestas a las mipymes de las diferentes provincias de la región Piura. La investigación fue de carácter cuantitativo, descriptivo y longitudinal. Se recogieron las percepciones de los empresarios de las mipymes con respecto al crowdlending desde la perspectiva de los costos financieros, la rapidez de acceso al crédito y la flexibilidad de condiciones del crédito. El desconocimiento de estas alternativas de financiamiento y la desconfianza en las transacciones virtuales pudieron condicionar las respuestas. Los resultados demostraron que la mayoría de los empresarios están dispuesto a demandar financiamiento a través del crowdlending, a pesar de que perciben que el acceso al crédito sería lento, el costo financiero bajo y que se daría una alta flexibilidad en las condiciones del crédito a demandar.

Resumen: En contextos de elevada informalidad y creciente digitalización, los empresarios se cuestionan: ¿conviene incorporar cobros electrónicos para aumentar las ventas? ¿cuánto más tendría que vender para cubrir los costos de transacción? ¿en cuánto aumentarían los costos impositivos por declarar los ingresos adicionales generados? En respuesta a tales interrogantes, este trabajo tiene por objetivo describir y comparar los costos de medios de pago e impositivos asociados a ventas cobradas con diferentes modalidades (efectivo, medios bancarios y billeteras virtuales), sensibilizando estos resultados ante escenarios de digitalización (incremento de actividad por ventas electrónicas) o informalidad (subdeclaración de ingresos). Metodológicamente es un estudio de caso simulado (microempresa alimenticia de Bahía Blanca) en el que se estiman los costos y resultados netos de once medios de pago para los dos regímenes tributarios vigentes en la Argentina: general (Responsable Inscripto [RI]) y simplificado (monotributo [MT]). Según los resultados, en términos relativos, el RI afronta menores costos de transacción y mayores costos tributarios, respecto al MT. La subdeclaración del 30 % de los ingresos en efectivo reduce a la mitad los costos impositivos por peso de ventas para ambos tipos de contribuyentes, aunque los incentivos para evadir son mayores para el RI y para el MT con ventas cercanas al punto de inflexión entre los regímenes. Los hallazgos revelan que la principal limitación a la adopción de pagos electrónicos en firmas pequeñas se asocia a la informalidad y no a los costos de transacción, lo que demuestra que los fenómenos de inclusión financiera y evasión tributaria deben abordarse conjuntamente. Clasificación JEL: H26, M10, D23, O17, 033, E26.

Abstract In contexts of high informality and increasing digitization, businessmen question themselves: is it worth incorporate collections by electronic payment methods to increase sales? How much more would you have to sell to cover transaction costs? How much would the tax costs increase for reporting the additional income generated? In response to such questions, this work aims to describe and compare the payment methods costs and tax costs associated with sales collected through different channels (cash, banking methods and virtual wallets), sensitizing these results in the face of digitization scenarios (increased in revenue by electronic sales) or informality situations (income underreporting). Methodologically, a simulated case study is developed (food microenterprise from Bahía Blanca) in which costs and net results of eleven payment methods are estimated for the two tax regimes in force in Argentina: VAT registered taxpayer and simplified taxpayer. According to the results, in relative terms, the VAT registered taxpayer faces lower transaction costs and higher tax costs, compared to simplified taxpayer. Underreporting of 30% of cash income cuts tax costs by weight of sales in half for both types of taxpayers, although the incentives to evade tax are higher for VAT registered taxpayers and for simplified taxpayers with sales close to the inflection point between the tax regimes. The findings reveal that the main limitation to implement electronic payments in small firms is associated with informality and not with transaction costs, demonstrating that the phenomena of financial inclusion and tax evasion must be addressed jointly.

Resumen El presente artículo tiene como objetivo identificar los factores asociados a la adopción de la banca electrónica en México, utilizando la Encuesta de Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación del INEGI 2019; para lo cual, se utilizó el modelo probabilístico Logit y el modelo supervisado de árboles de decisión. Los resultados de esta investigación pretenden dar insumos para formular políticas públicas y estrategias de inclusión financiera. Entre las limitantes se encuentran los datos perdidos de variables de gran importancia, así como la no disponibilidad de características más específicas de la población. La aportación original es el uso de herramientas de aprendizaje profundo en el análisis de la adopción de banca electrónica para una economía en desarrollo. Se concluyó que: los individuos con mayor nivel educativo, usuarios frecuentes de Internet, de estratos socioeconómicos altos y habitantes de los centros urbanos más poblados, son quienes adoptan fácilmente la banca electrónica.

Abstract This document aims to identify the factors associated with the adoption of electronic banking in Mexico, using the Information and Communication Technologies Survey from INEGI 2019; for which, a probabilistic Logit model and the supervised model of decision tree were used. Results from this research intend to provide inputs to develop public policy and financial inclusion strategies. Its limits include lost data from significant variables, as well as the non-availability of more specific characteristics of population. The original contribution is the in-depth use of learning tools in the adaption of electronic banking analysis for a developing economy. It was concluded that individuals with higher education level, frequent Internet users, from high socioeconomic strata and inhabitants of the most populated urban centers are who adopt electronic banking easily.

This article explores the application and potential of financial crime risk indicators in international banking and mercantile transactions. Special emphasis is placed on lists of financial crime risk indicators which are circulated or have been drafted by governments and public institutions in sub-Saharan Africa. This article investigates inter alia whether such financial crime risk indicator lists created by African institutions differ noticeably - regarding content, drafting style, and availability - from other well-established indicator lists, and whether African financial crime risk indicator lists appropriately represent African commercial realities and thus meaningfully contribute to fighting financial crime on the continent and beyond.

Resumo Um sistema bancário é funcional quando expande o potencial de fornecer mais liquidez à economia, especialmente para o financiamento do desenvolvimento. Os avanços da Tecnologia da Informação e Comunicação (TIC) podem contribuir para aumentar o potencial dos bancos em oferecer mais produtos e serviços, ampliando sua capacidade de serem mais funcionais. Caso contrário, a diversificação dos instrumentos financeiros pode incentivá-los a operar com operações mais rentáveis no curto prazo em detrimento da oferta de crédito no longo prazo, diminuindo sua capacidade de ser mais funcional. Considerando esses aspectos, o objetivo deste artigo é analisar a relação entre a TIC e a funcionalidade dos bancos brasileiros entre 1995 e 2016. Para tanto, foi criado um índice de funcionalidade. A partir da estimativa de dados em painel, verificou-se um impacto ambíguo das TIC na funcionalidade bancária. A utilização de dispositivos e serviços eletrônicos para processamento e transmissão de dados baseados em software teve um efeito positivo neste índice. No entanto, a influência das TIC na funcionalidade foi potenciar os efeitos negativos das inovações financeiras na oferta de crédito pelos bancos, devido aos incentivos dos agentes para investir em ativos de curto prazo e mais líquidos, vis à vis ao financiamento de investimentos de longo prazo, prejudicando a capacidade de financiamento do desenvolvimento brasileiro.

Abstract A banking system is functional when it expands the potential to provide more liquidity to the economy, especially for development finance. The advances of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can contribute to increasing banks’ potential to offer more products and services, expanding their capacity to be more functional. Diversifying financial instruments can encourage them to operate with more profitable operations in the short term to the detriment of the supply of credit in the long term, decreasing their ability to be more functional. This article aims to analyze the relationship between ICT and the functionality of Brazilian banks between 1995 and 2016. We created an index of functionality. The Panel Data estimation verified an ambiguous impact of ICT on banks’ functionality. The use of electronic devices and services for software-driven data processing and transmission has had a positive effect on this index. However, the influence of ICT on functionality was to enhance the negative effects of financial innovations on the supply of credit by banks because of the agents” incentives to invest in short-term and more liquid assets, vis à vis of financing long-term investments, harming the capacity for financing Brazilian development.

Resumen Un sistema bancario es funcional cuando expande su potencial para proporcionar más liquidez a la economía, especialmente para financiar el desarrollo. Los avances en las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) pueden contribuir a incrementar el potencial de los bancos para ofrecer más productos y servicios, ampliando su capacidad de ser más funcionales. Sin embargo, la diversificación de los instrumentos financieros también puede inducirlos a priorizar operaciones más rentables y a corto plazo, en detrimento de la oferta de crédito a largo plazo, disminuyendo su capacidad de ser más funcional. Considerando estos aspectos, el propósito de este artículo es analizar la relación entre las TIC y la funcionalidad de los bancos brasileños entre 1995 y 2016. Para ello, se creó un índice de funcionalidad. A partir de la estimación de datos de panel, se verificó un impacto ambiguo de las TIC en la funcionalidad bancaria. El uso de dispositivos y servicios electrónicos para procesar y transmitir datos basados en software tuvo un efecto positivo en este índice. Sin embargo, la influencia de las TIC en la funcionalidad fue potencializar los efectos negativos de las innovaciones financieras en la oferta de crédito por parte de los bancos, debido a incentivos, por parte de los agentes, para invertir en activos a corto plazo y más líquidos, frente al financiamiento de inversiones a largo plazo, comprometiendo la capacidad de financiamiento del desarrollo brasileño.

ABSTRACT The application of information and communication technologies in the development of micro and small enterprises of the Huánuco district in the construction sector is studied. These companies constitute about 50% of the income of any country, which places them in a position of considerable importance, since by achieving their modernization, the modernization of the country in general is achieved. The research was applied type, descriptive level, non-experimental transectional design. The results show that 95% of the construction companies in Huánuco know about the applications of information and communication technologies, with electronic commerce (18.9%) being the most used application. Internet plays a very important role for companies (69%) in their buying and selling processes, given its versatility, it contributes satisfactorily to the coverage of its needs. 55% of companies have a website. The least used tool is electronic banking (80%) since its use is not considered. It is concluded that these companies need to incorporate technology into their business strategies to be more productive and increase their efficiency.

RESUMEN Se estudia la aplicación de las tecnologías de información y comunicación en el desarrollo de las micro y pequeñas empresas del distrito de Huánuco en el sector construcción. Estas empresas constituyen cerca del 50% de los ingresos de cualquier país, lo que las sitúa en una posición de considerable trascendencia, ya que, logrando su modernización, se logra la modernización del país en general. La investigación fue de tipo aplicada, nivel descriptivo, diseño no experimental transeccional. Los resultados muestran que el 95% de las empresas constructoras de Huánuco conocen acerca de las aplicaciones de las tecnologías de la información y comunicación, siendo el comercio electrónico (18,9%) la aplicación más usada. Internet, juega un papel muy importante para las empresas (69%) en sus procesos de compra y venta, dada su versatilidad, contribuye de manera satisfactoria en la cobertura de sus necesidades. 55% de las empresas cuenta con página web. La herramienta menos utilizada es la banca electrónica (80%) ya que no se considera su uso. Se concluye que estas empresas necesitan incorporar tecnología a sus estrategias de negocio para ser más productivas y aumentar su grado de eficiencia.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and fifth generation network technology (5G) are now being utilised by some companies and financial institutions such as banks to enhance their competitiveness and expand their businesses. The general types of AI include functional AI, interactive AI, text AI, visual AI and analytic AI. The key components of AI include machine learning, fast Internet connectivity, deep learning, neural networks and advanced data analysis. These components may be complemented by the adoption and use of standard 5G cellular networks. 5G utilises broadband Internet access and Internet connection, and is now employed by some banking institutions, especially in developed countries. It is not clear whether South African banking institutions have adopted 5G for their Internet connectivity and operations. AI and 5G may be used to detect and combat cybercrimes in banking institutions. On the other hand, AI and 5G may also be abused by cybercriminals to commit financial crimes such as money laundering and insider trading. In this regard it is submitted that South African policy makers should carefully revise the Cybercrimes Bill B6-2017 (Cybercrimes Bill) to embrace the use of AI and 5G to detect and combat cybercrimes in South African banks. Accordingly, this article examines the adequacy of the Cybercrimes Bill. It also explores the regulation and use of 5G and AI to detect, prevent and combat cybercrimes in banks and other financial institutions in South Africa.

The advent of mobile money innovations has given people in rural areas, informal settlements and other poor communities an opportunity to participate in Zimbabwe's mainstream financial economy. However, the technology-driven money services have presented some challenges to the traditional banking sector in general and the regulation of financial services in particular. Firstly, most mobile money services are products of telecommunication corporations, which are not banks. Telecommunication companies use their network reach to provide mobile money services via mobile devices at a cheaper cost than banks across the country in Zimbabwe. As such, banks face unprecedented competition from telecommunications companies that are venturing into financial services. It also appears that prudential regulation of banks cannot keep up with the fast pace at which technological innovations are developing and this has created a disjuncture between the regulation and the use of technological innovations to promote financial inclusion in Zimbabwe. The Banking Act [Chapter 24:20] 9 of 1999, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Act [Chapter 22:15] 5 of 1999 and the National Payment Systems Act [Chapter 24:23] 21 of 2001 have a limited scope in terms of the regulation of mobile money services in Zimbabwe. The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development launched the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) 2016-2020 to provide impetus to the financial inclusion of the poor, unbanked and low-income earners in Zimbabwe. However, the NFIS appears to push more for bank-led financial inclusion than it does for innovation-driven initiatives such as mobile money services. This article highlights the positive influence of mobile money services in improving financial inclusion for the poor, unbanked and low-income earners in Zimbabwe. The article also seeks to point out gaps and flaws in the financial services regulatory framework that may limit the potential of mobile money services to reach more people so that they actively participate in the Zimbabwean economy. It is submitted that the Zimbabwean mobile money services regulations and the financial regulatory framework should be carefully amended in line with the recent innovations in mobile money to adequately regulate the use of mobile money services and innovative technology to address the financial exclusion of the poor, unbanked and low-income earners in Zimbabwe.

The promotion of financial inclusion is important for the combating of financial exclusion in many countries, including South Africa. Nonetheless, most low-income earners living in rural areas and informal settlements are still struggling to gain access to basic financial products and financial services in South Africa. This status quo has been caused by a number of factors such as the absence of an adequate financial inclusion policy, the geographical remoteness of financial institutions to most low-income earners, rigid identity documentary requirements, a lack of access to reliable and affordable Internet connection by low-income earners living in informal settlements and rural areas, a lack of financial illiteracy, the high costs of financial services, unemployment and poverty, over-indebtedness, and cultural and psychological hindrances to low-income earners in South Africa. Consequently, these factors have somewhat limited the access to financial services offered by financial institutions to low-income earners living in rural areas and informal settlements. In many countries, including South Africa, the financial sector is relying on innovative technology, especially in banking institutions, to aid in the offering of financial services to their customers. It is against this background that this article discusses selected legal and related challenges affecting the regulation and use of innovative technology to promote financial inclusion for low-income earners in South Africa. The article further discusses possible measures that could be adopted by the government, financial institutions and other relevant regulatory bodies to promote the use of innovative technology to combat the financial exclusion of low-income earners in South Africa.

Abstract: Smartphones have become the colossal point of attention for both individuals and businesses worldwide resulting into a whole level of new and innovative experience in mobile computing. Mobile applications (mobile app) is an upshot of such innovative mobile computing and produces a noticeable change in the way humans feel and experience. Each and every mobile app has a rating attached to it on App store, which measures the overall feedback of users for a particular mobile app. The present research develops a theoretical research model as a framework to identify the key decision factors influencing Indian users to rate mobile banking apps. A mix method approach consisting of qualitative interviews and a self-administered survey was used to gather information from 343 respondents in Delhi, India. The empirical analysis identifies and ranks six important decision factors: login time, visual design, navigational design, information design, collaboration and service quality, influencing the ratings of a mobile app. This study is one of the very few that has attempted to investigate the relationship between mobile app attributes and user ratings for retail banks and for providing new insights into mobile app attributes of retail banks and their effects on user ratings.

ABSTRACT Consumer-driven technologies are rapidly transforming how industries conduct business both internally and externally. From online banking to retail, the broad adoption of smart devices, internet access, and wearables amongst consumers has shifted the way enterprises develop software and conduct information technology (IT) operations. Although successful adoption of consumer-driven technologies is a reality for many industries, the healthcare platform is lagging. The promotion and adoption of online patient engagement is widely perceived to be one of the biggest hurdles faced by healthcare organizations (Carr, 2014). While setting up patient portals and electronic delivery options can be relatively simple, promoting consumer utilization and achieving widespread use of these portals use has posed challenges. The healthcare paradigm has shifted in recent decades from viewing the patient as incidental to the delivery of healthcare to a more patient-centric approach. The previous model of indirectly funding Medicare, Medicaid, or employers has been noted as one of the greatest flaws of the healthcare system by contributing to cost inflation (Carr, 2014). Recent trends have promoted patient-empowered care, but have generally transferred the burden of cost to the individual. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) stimulated this shift by creating insurance exchanges which allow insurers to directly reach consumers; however, these readily-available healthcare options now require higher monthly premium payments from shoppers. This new model proposes that as patients become increasingly financially liable, they become more invested in their healthcare trajectories.

BACKGROUND: The proliferation of electronic banking has revolutionised the delivery of financial services across the globe. E-banking services offer substantial benefits, such as reduced costs to transact, convenience and flexibility. Despite the considerable penetration of e-banking in South Africa, it remains unclear whether customers are willing to continue using these services, particularly given the safety concerns, because of the high incidence of cybercrime. OBJECTIVES: Owing to the paucity of research on customers' attitude towards continued usage intentions of e-banking services, the aim of this study is to investigate the formation of attitude towards e-banking continued usage intentions among rural banking customers. METHOD: The study was underpinned by a positivist paradigm, and a descriptive design was employed. Primary data were collected by means of self-administered questionnaires, which yielded 139 valid responses. Regression analysis was utilised during the analysis for hypothesis testing. RESULTS: The results revealed that e-banking attitude is mainly driven by perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. Furthermore, the results showed that e-banking attitude strongly predicts continued usage intentions. CONCLUSION: The empirical evidence presented in this study adds value to the existing research on e-banking, particularly in the context of rural banking customers, an area which is largely under-researched in South Africa.