Survey: 60 per cent of Kenyans expect country to go fully cashless.

NAIROBI, KENYA: COVID-19 has seen consumers across the world ditch cash and in-person shopping in favour of online spending, according to Standard Chartered’s latest global survey.

Almost three-quarters of survey respondents in Kenya (64 per cent globally) agree that COVID-19 has made them more positive about online shopping, but they are also more careful with their spending and want new ways to track their money digitally.

The study of 12,000 adults across 12 markets – Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mainland China, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, Taiwan, UAE, the UK, and the US – is the second in a three-part series, looking at how COVID-19 has transformed our way of life, and what changes look here to stay. While the first survey focused on the pandemic’s impact on earnings, the second offers new insights into the way the global health crisis is changing consumer spending habits.

Respondents in all 12 markets anticipate doing more of their shopping online from now on. In Kenya, 79 per cent preferred to shop in-person prior to the pandemic compared to 21 per cent online. But this has shifted significantly, with more than half (51 per cent) now preferring online payments to in-person, card or cash payments for future purchases. At 30 per cent, this is the largest increase in preference for online shopping of any market surveyed.

Respondents in the UK, China, the US and Taiwan, while still anticipating an overall increase, are at the other end of the scale, believing their online spending will grow by less than 10 per cent in the future.

The increase in preference for online payments is true across a range of purchases, from groceries and travel to digital devices. As a result, almost two-thirds (64 per cent) of people globally and 60 per cent in Kenya now expect their country to go fully cashless.

In Kenya, of those who believe the country will one day go cashless, the average predicted year is 2033.

Commenting on the poll, Standard Chartered Head of Retail Banking, Edith Chumba said the survey results are supported by Standard Chartered’s ATM withdrawals data which shows that across the ten surveyed markets, where Standard Chartered offers consumer banking (all except the UK and US), COVID-19 has dramatically accelerated the decline in ATM usage.

“Cash withdrawals from ATMs are now half what they were two years ago. Today, 89 per cent of transactions are being conducted digitally with a 62 per cent and 90 per cent penetration for our Retail and Corporate clients respectively,” added Chumba.

Meanwhile, as spending begins to creep up as lockdowns ease globally – 49 per cent in Kenya (46 per cent globally) reported increased spending in July – 93 per cent of Kenyans said the pandemic has made them more careful with their expenditure (75 per cent globally), the highest proportion of any country surveyed.

Reflecting the increased caution, 91 per cent of Kenyan respondents said that the economic impact of COVID-19 has made them more likely to track their spending, with over 80 per cent of Kenyans either using or interested in using budgeting tools or tools that block card-spend over specified limits.

Consumers around the world are now spending more on basics - such as groceries and healthcare - and digital devices than they did before the pandemic, and they expect this increase to continue in the future. This trend is reflected in Kenya, with consumers seeing a 58 per cent increase in their expenditure on groceries, a 59 per cent increase in spending on digital devices, and a 39 per cent increase in healthcare expenditure.

Meanwhile in Kenya, 80 per cent of people say they have spent less on travel/holidays than they did before the pandemic, while 49 per cent have spent less on experiences, and 83 per cent have spent less on clothes.

As well as increased caution when it comes to spending, consumers are increasingly conscientious.

This is good news for small businesses and those producing locally made goods, particularly those making and selling sustainably sourced products. Kenya leads the way globally in increasingly conscientious consumption habits; 81 per cent of Kenyans say they are now more likely to shop locally (57 per cent globally), 75 per cent are more likely to shop sustainably (52 per cent globally), and 70 per cent are more likely to support smaller businesses (50 per cent globally).