Financial inclusion of urban street vendors in Kigali

This working paper studies street vendors in the Nyarugenge District (Kigali, Rwanda) during field research (July to August 2017) using a mixed method approach including document analysis, field observation, a survey and background interviews. The survey tests assumptions by policy makers about the determinants of financial inclusion of informal sector workers in order to strengthen the evidence base for Rwandan policies aimed at financial inclusion of the informal sector. A logit analysis and Poisson regression of the survey data supports the importance of gender for both de jure bank account ownership and de facto bank account use of self-employed in the informal sector, but contradicts common assumptions about age and education of the street vendor. The physical presence of a financial institution in the home location of the street vendor is the most significant determinant identified by our research.