Small businesses continue to play an important role in supporting household incomes in Fiji, but the majority generate modest earnings and face challenges accessing finance, according to the Reserve Bank of Fiji’s 2025 Fiji Financial Services Demand Side Survey.
The survey found that one in every 10 Fijian households owns a micro, small or medium enterprise (MSME), with women owning the majority of businesses.
Of all household MSMEs, 55 per cent are owned by women, while 44 per cent are owned by men.
Most businesses operate from home, rely heavily on cash transactions and employ an average of 2.1 people.
The most common industries are food sales (48 per cent) and agriculture (24 per cent).
The survey found that 70 per cent of MSMEs earn FJ$500 or less each week, highlighting the small scale of many household businesses.
Women-owned and rural businesses generally generate lower incomes than their male-owned and urban counterparts.
Nearly 89 per cent of female-owned businesses and 92 per cent of rural MSMEs earn FJ$500 or less each week, compared with 44 per cent of male-owned and 50 per cent of urban businesses.
The report found that 75 per cent of MSMEs operate from the owner’s home, while only 19 per cent operate from towns or city locations.
The primary motivation for starting a business was to support the family, cited by 82 per cent of owners, while 38 per cent said they established their business to earn additional income.
Only 25 per cent of MSMEs had accessed a loan or grant to support their business.
Among those that secured financing, the Fiji Development Bank was the most common lender, accounting for 33 per cent of loans, followed by microfinance organisations (29 per cent). Government grants accounted for 22 per cent, while 16 per cent obtained loans from commercial banks.
Most borrowed funds were used to purchase equipment (47 per cent) or stock (40 per cent).
Despite the availability of financing, 29 per cent of MSMEs reported difficulty accessing funds.
The most common barriers included inadequate financial records or documentation (36 per cent), complex application processes (29 per cent), insufficient collateral and poor credit history.
The survey found women-owned businesses were more likely than male-owned businesses to experience difficulty obtaining finance.
Digital adoption among MSMEs remains limited.
Only 30 per cent of businesses use the internet to market or sell their products or services, although more than half of those accepting online payments do so through M-PAiSA, which accounted for 91 per cent of digital payment transactions.
The findings highlight the significant contribution of household businesses to Fiji’s economy while pointing to ongoing challenges in accessing finance, improving business capacity and expanding digital participation.
