Transition Of Access To Finance For Women-Owned SMEs: Pre And Post COVID-19 Micro-Study For Bulawayo Metropolitan

Purpose: This study seeks to delineate the transition of access to finance for women-owned SMEs (pre and post COVID-19) in Bulawayo Metropolitan as a way of understanding the adequacy of financing and recovery potential of SMEs post the pandemic. Methodology: The study adopts survey methods (questionnaires and interviews) on a conveniently selected but diverse (different economic sectors, formal and informal, different sizes and business forms) sample of women-owned SMEs in Bulawayo Metropolitan. Findings: The study confirmed the widening financing gap for women-owned SMEs on account of SMEs’ reduced bankability and reduction in tenability of most financing sources post COVID-19. The emergence of new costs (rental and debt arrears, revival of operations, re-hiring of labor, acquiring of technology, financing working capital and retooling increase) increased SMEs’ financing needs post COVID-19. Targeted financial intervention is imperative for a speedy recovery of women-owned SMEs post the pandemic Originality Value: This study provides an uncommon transitory dimension of literature on access to finance for women-owned SMEs (prior and post COVID-19). Secondly, tracing the transition of access to finance for women-owned SMEs advances intervention strategies for timeous recovery of the SMEs. Thirdly, to the best of our understanding, this paper is the first to adopt a gendered approach to the transitory status of access to finance.