Performance implications of financial capital availability on the financial literacy – performance nexus in South Africa

The need for making optimal financial decisions is very important in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) especially as most SMEs are always financially constrained. Consequently, there has been an increasing interest from researchers to determine how well financial literacy skills can enable entrepreneurs to make decisions that result in optimal financial outcomes and possible enhance the performance and growth of their businesses. This study had as objectives to find out the impact of financial literacy on firm performance, as well as to examine the moderating effect of financial capital availability on the financial literacy – performance relationship, amongst SME in the Free State province of South Africa. The results showed that on average SME have low levels of financial literacy and financial capital availability. It was also observed that financial literacy positively influenced SME performance, and that the relationship is positively moderated by financial capital availability. It is, therefore, necessary for SME owners to develop financial literacy skills as an essential part of entrepreneurial activities. Likewise, since businesses rely on financial capital to invest, develop and grow, policy makers should put in place measures on how to bridge the access to finance gap, and, thus, ensure that entrepreneurs are relieved from financing constraints