The effects of sending remittances on the financial capabilities of Zimbabwean migrants in the United Kingdom

Abstract This article provides a capabilities analysis of the financial behaviour of United Kingdom-based Zimbabwean senders of international remittances to Zimbabwe. It elaborates an expanded analytical framework of financial capability to investigate the effects of remitting on the financial capabilities of the senders of remittances. The data presented draw on the findings of a survey ( n = 347) and semi-structured interviews ( n = 23) conducted with Zimbabweans in the United Kingdom. The data reveal adverse effects of remitting on the respondents’ personal financial practices in respect of budgeting, saving and preparing for their retirement. It also shows the limits of FinTech services in transferring remittances and provides insights into how personal finance and -related capabilities constitute a social remittance. Overall, discourses on migration and development need to incorporate an expanded financial capabilities perspective to understand better how remittance fields are structured and to contribute to public policy reforms aiming to enhance the efficacy of remittances.