Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
The influence of AI-enabled tool adoption, digital footprints, and SME credibility on loan approvals: a quantitative study of South African SMEs
Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2025.
Saved in:
| Other Authors: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Pretoria
2026
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613464672862208 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Ntshakala, Thembekile |
| author_browse | Ntshakala, Thembekile |
| author_facet | Ntshakala, Thembekile |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2025 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/109668 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:36:34.044Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/109668 The influence of AI-enabled tool adoption, digital footprints, and SME credibility on loan approvals: a quantitative study of South African SMEs Ntshakala, Thembekile ichelp@gibs.co.za Motsatsi, Thabitha UCTD Information asymmetry AI-enabled tools Digital footprints SME financing Signalling theory Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2025. Information asymmetry remains a critical barrier to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) financing in South Africa, with traditional credit assessment mechanisms failing to recognise the creditworthiness of viable enterprises. Digital transformation and AI-enabled technologies present potential new signalling mechanisms that could bridge this gap. This quantitative study examined whether AI-enabled tool adoption, digital footprints, and SME credibility influence loan approval outcomes for South African SMEs that applied for loans within a 12-month period. Data were collected through structured surveys and analysed using Bayesian logistic regression to test four hypotheses grounded in signalling theory and information asymmetry theory. Results revealed that AI adoption demonstrated strong model-level evidence and moderate interaction effects with credibility, both receiving partial support/association. However, digital footprints and credibility independently showed insufficient evidence to reliably predict loan approval. Credibility functions as a complementary signal that gains relevance when combined with AI adoption or hard financial metrics. Traditional financial indicators such as firm size, operational maturity, and cash flow capacity remain primarily associated with lending decisions. The study concludes that while digital signals are acknowledged by lenders, they function as transitional indicators requiring institutional maturation before becoming decisive factors in South Africa's conservative banking environment. Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) MBA Unrestricted Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) SDG-08: Decent work and economic growth 2026-04-21T08:48:01Z 2026-04-21T08:48:01Z 2026-05-05 2025 Mini Dissertation * A2025 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/109668 en © 2025 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | UCTD Information asymmetry AI-enabled tools Digital footprints SME financing Signalling theory The influence of AI-enabled tool adoption, digital footprints, and SME credibility on loan approvals: a quantitative study of South African SMEs |
| title | The influence of AI-enabled tool adoption, digital footprints, and SME credibility on loan approvals: a quantitative study of South African SMEs |
| title_full | The influence of AI-enabled tool adoption, digital footprints, and SME credibility on loan approvals: a quantitative study of South African SMEs |
| title_fullStr | The influence of AI-enabled tool adoption, digital footprints, and SME credibility on loan approvals: a quantitative study of South African SMEs |
| title_full_unstemmed | The influence of AI-enabled tool adoption, digital footprints, and SME credibility on loan approvals: a quantitative study of South African SMEs |
| title_short | The influence of AI-enabled tool adoption, digital footprints, and SME credibility on loan approvals: a quantitative study of South African SMEs |
| title_sort | influence of ai enabled tool adoption digital footprints and sme credibility on loan approvals a quantitative study of south african smes |
| topic | UCTD Information asymmetry AI-enabled tools Digital footprints SME financing Signalling theory |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/109668 |