Abstract
The sometimes, selective exclusion by the legislation and the financial houses of the host
country, force immigrants of African origin to setup stokvels to sustain their businesses and
livelihood in South Africa. Aim: To provide the basis for inclusive policy initiatives, this paper
investigated the drivers for the formation of business support stokvels by Cameroonians in South
Africa. Method: The paper adopted a mix research paradigm with the survey questionnaire and
personal interviews as the tools of choice. The purposive sampling technique was implored to reach
the 132 respondents. Results: It was apparent that the participants form stokvels to compensate for
the lack of access to finance from formal financial intermediaries. The dire need for startup and later
expansion capital drove them to form stokvels and even to belong to multiple stokvels as they strive
to improve their chances. Beyond this, stokvels provide the platform for the mobilization of savings
and the opportunity to run their own bank on their own terms. Implications: while aligned to the
Cameroonian community, other minority groups can draw vital lessons. Beyond this, the paper
informs the inclusive finance debate and may therefore be relevant to policy makers and academics