Digital Divide and Pension Disbursement in Zambia: How ICT Constraints Affect Timely Access to Benefits

Abstract

Access to timely and equitable pension disbursement is a critical function of social protection systems. However, in Zambia, the growing reliance on digital platforms by the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA), the largest public pension provider, has exposed and, in some cases, intensified long-standing disparities rooted in the digital divide. This review article investigates how Information and Communication Technology (ICT) constraints hinder pension benefit delivery, especially for older populations in rural and underserved communities. Guided by Agency Theory, the Digital Divide Theory, and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the study employs the SPAR-4-SLR protocol to conduct a structured literature review of peer reviewed articles, policy reports, and grey literature published between 2012 and 2024. The analysis identified four interrelated themes: (1) infrastructural barriers such as poor internet coverage and power instability; (2) digital illiteracy among older pensioners; (3) cybersecurity and trust concerns that inhibit technology adoption; and (4) policy and institutional gaps impeding effective implementation of digital pension reforms. While the adoption of ICT has significantly improved pension processing efficiency, it has also disadvantaged technologically challenged and digitally excluded pensioners. Agency Theory helps explain how information irregularities and weak accountability mechanisms between pension administrators (agents) and pensioners (principals) contribute to these disparities. The study concludes that bridging the digital divide requires broad-based interventions, such as expanding ICT infrastructure, rolling out digital literacy programmes for pensioners, adopting user-friendly platforms, and strengthening institutional capacity. These strategies are critical for ensuring inclusive, timely, and equitable pension access in a digital era.