Banking resilience during security crises and customer satisfaction in Goma, D.R. Congo: A stress test of the banking sector

Abstract

This paper has analyzed banking resilience and customer satisfaction during the security crisis in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), following the M23 armed occupation from January 2025. The study has aimed to evaluate the capacity of commercial banks to maintain service continuity and to measure users’ satisfaction under systemic disruptions due to the security crisis in Goma. The study adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining a survey of 405 randomly selected respondents from seven banks operating in Goma with qualitative semi-structured interviews conducted with selected representatives of employers' associations and bank employees. Using a descriptive analytical approach and a binary logistic regression model validated by the Hosmer-Lemeshow test, the study found that 88% of users experienced banking service interruptions, highlighting the structural vulnerability of the local financial system. Nevertheless, 73.8% have declared maintaining trust in banks’ fund management, while 65.9% have reported confidence in digital services. Mobile Money usage has significantly increased (from 78.5% before the crisis to 84.7% during the crisis), while card usage has dropped sharply (from 73.6% to 29.9%). The binary logit model has revealed that service continuity (p = 0.006) has represented the main positive determinant of satisfaction, while ease of use (p = 0.008), network reliability (p = 0.049), and access to funds (p = 0.005) have exerted significant negative effects.In conclusion, this study has demonstrated that banking resilience in Goma has relied less on advanced digitalization than on three essential pillars: perceived service continuity, access to liquidity, and institutional trust.

Keywords: Banking resilience, Satisfaction, Security crisis.

Classification JEL : G21, G28, O16, D12, C25

Paper type: Empirical Research