Digital Finance in Fragile Settings: Structural Predictors of Mobile Money Retention in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo

This study investigated the factors influencing the continuous usage of mobile money services in the cities of Butembo and Beni, North Kivu (DRC), using a structural equation modelling approach via SmartPLS.The findings reveal that Trust, Subjective Norms, and Perceived Cost significantly affect users' continued use of mobile money platforms, while Customer Experience and Perceived Quality do not show a direct effect.The results highlight Continuous Usage as a central mechanism that strongly predicts both Behavioural Intention and User Engagement, reinforcing its role as a critical bridge between initial perceptions and long-term behaviour.From a managerial standpoint, building trust, leveraging social influence, and reducing transaction costs are key strategies for increasing adoption and retention.Theoretically, the study confirms the relevance of trust-and norm-based models in digital finance usage within low-infrastructure contexts.The paper concludes with a call for future research to explore longitudinal patterns, qualitative dimensions of service perception, and contextual moderators such as digital literacy and income level.