DETERMINANTS OF RURAL HOUSEHOLD POVERTY IN ZIMBABWE: A CASE STUDY OF NKAYI DISTRICT IN MATEBELELAND NORTH PROVINCE

Abstract: The objective of this study was to examine the determinants of rural household poverty in Zimbabwe using Nkayi district as a case study. Cross-sectional data was collected from randomly selected 150 households across 5 wards chosen at random in Nkayi district. The study employed the logit model in analysing the data. Estimations were undertaken using the maximum likelihood technique. The study adopted the consumption approach to poverty and total consumption poverty line (TCPL) of $175 from ZIMSTAT. The household poverty prevalence was found to be at 82.7 per cent indicating that rural poverty is still a problem in Nkayi district. The results revealed that the coefficients of the marital status of household head, size of cattle herd, household’s ownership of scotch cart and the level of education of the household head were statistically significant and had a negative relationship with poverty. The coefficients of the age of the household head and the household dependency ratio were also statistically significant and had a positive relationship with poverty. Therefore, it is suggested that policies and programmes that aim at reducing rural poverty should promote education for the rural poor. They should also target asset building like cattle and scotch cart for the poor. Finally, the study recommends the creation of safety nets for the households headed by old aged people, unmarried people and those households with high dependency ratio. Keywords: Determinants, Rural, Poverty, Household. Title: DETERMINANTS OF RURAL HOUSEHOLD POVERTY IN ZIMBABWE: A CASE STUDY OF NKAYI DISTRICT IN MATEBELELAND NORTH PROVINCE Author: Davison Maunganidze, Trust Mpofu International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online) Vol. 12, Issue 3, July 2024 - September 2024 Page No: 191-208 Research Publish Journals Website: www.researchpublish.com Published Date: 14-August-2024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13319409 Paper Download Link (Source) https://www.researchpublish.com/papers/determinants-of-rural-household-poverty-in-zimbabwe-a-case-study-of-nkayi-district-in-matebeleland-north-province