Selected factors significantly influencing net equity value in the South African household's statement of financial position

Abstract

It is twenty-one years since South Africa’s democracy and the majority of South African households can still be classified as poor, despite the various interventions by Government to reduce poverty and inequality. The measurement used to determine the financial status of a household at a given point in time is its net equity in accordance with its Statement of Financial Position, calculated as its assets owned less liabilities owed. This study aimed to identify the selected significant factors that affect a South African household’s net equity value. In order to achieve the aim of this study, a heuristic model consisting of two components was developed. The first component considered which assets and liabilities should be included in determining a household’s net equity and how these assets and liabilities should be valued. The second component identified the selected factors that influence a household’s net equity. The heuristic model was applied to the empirical data using three phases. Firstly, the net equity value was calculated for each household. This was followed by an analysis of the selected factors that significantly influence household net equity. The last phase was performed to determine the effect of the identified selected factors in explaining the difference between households that have above average net equity values and those having below average values. The results of the study indicated that 11 selected factors significantly influence the net equity value in the South African household’s Statement of Financial Position. Seven of those factors significantly explain between 28,3 percent and 38,1 percent of the differences in the net equity value of a household when comparing the households with above average net equity value with those with below average values. This is useful information for policy makers in identifying the selected factors that will most significantly increase the net equity value of a household with a net equity value below the South African average.