Structural and behavioral determinants of digital payment platform adoption in a multi-currency rural economy: Evidence from Gutu District, Zimbabwe

This study investigates the determinants of digital payment platform adoption in rural economies, focusing on Gutu District in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe, within the context of the country’s evolving multi-currency monetary framework. In Zimbabwe, the coexistence of the United States dollar, South African Rand, Botswana pula and the domestically issued gold-backed Zimbabwean currency (ZiG), coupled with constrained circulation of ZiG cash, has elevated digital platforms as the principal medium for local-currency transactions. However, rural communities often face infrastructural and institutional barriers that limit their effective participation in these digital systems. Against this backdrop, the study examines how technological access, cognitive trust, social influence, socio-economic status, and monetary conditions jointly shape digital payment uptake. A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed. Primary data were collected from 221 rural households using interviewer-administered structured questionnaires. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was applied to evaluate both direct and mediated relationships among digital access, trust perceptions, social influence, poverty status, and adoption outcomes. The findings reveal that digital infrastructure access constitutes the most significant predictor of adoption, followed by cognitive trust and social influence. While poverty status exhibits a modest negative association with uptake, its influence diminishes where connectivity and system reliability are strengthened. Importantly, the multi-currency environment emerges as a structural factor influencing adoption patterns: limited availability of ZiG cash increases reliance on digital platforms for local-currency transactions, yet infrastructural gaps and cost barriers restrict rural households from fully engaging in these systems. As a result, many transactions remain anchored in US dollar cash usage, reinforcing rural exclusion from segments of the formal digital economy. Adoption is positively associated with increased utilisation of mobile money services, digital banking, and routine electronic payments, contributing to expanded financial inclusion. However, broader wealth accumulation effects remain moderate. Overall, digital payment uptake in rural Zimbabwe reflects the interaction between technological readiness, trust formation, and monetary structure, rather than income levels alone. The study underscores the importance of strengthening rural connectivity, reducing transaction costs, enhancing interoperability, and aligning monetary policy implementation with rural digital capabilities to advance inclusive financial development.