The impact of financial constraints on investment efficiency in South Africa

Abstract

Shifts from firm-level investment efficiency occur due to market imperfections and informationasymmetry. This translates to an increased cost of capital, which leads to over or under-investments. This study demonstrates the absence of a direct association between investmentefficiency and financial constraints in African firms, complementing the efficient markethypothesis. We observed firms across different industries listed on the JSE from 2009 to 2019.Empirical results from panel data analysis reveal that financial constraints drive improvedinvestment levels and firms in this region depend on external funds – specifically credits – toinvest.