Transition to the Cash Economy

This doctoral research, completed through the University of South Africa, examined the need for San communities to develop assets through a micro-finance programme. At least some participants, who come from a hunter-gatherer background, could be considered non-monetary in their orientation. It was found that the programme has made at least some of the participants more conversant with the handling of cash and contributed to increased self-respect. Developing liquid assets was most difficult for the poorest participants, many of them women. San people are the poorest, even among other marginal rural minorities. The programme was moderately successful in helping participants save towards larger needs and to even out income flows. The programme was not successful in establishing a savings programme as an alternative to cattle farming and should rather be seen as a complementary strategy for increasing household assets. The emphasis on savings mobilisation, rather than the creation of debt through credit was valid. Increased incomes will lead to increased indebtedness and a higher influx of cash in a San community is likely to be unevenly spread within the communities.