A Framework for Assessing E-Commerce in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Over the past three decades, Sub-Saharan Africa has been viewed as the “Iforgotten continent”. With her many problems of hunger, epidemics, war, and other related socio-economic problems, the dzfusion of the Internet and related technologies might be the last thing to be associated with Africa. However, we are experiencing the contrary. Sub-Saharan countries are experiencing tremendous growth in Internet connectivity, the use of computers, and in the dzfusion of wireless communications. Although still at its starting stages, electronic commerce is one of the growth areas for information and communication technologies (ICTs) in Africa. This paper presents a research framework for assessing electronic commerce in Sub-Saharan Africa. It describes the nature of the digital divide, and explains the need for the commercial applications of the Internet in developing countries in general. Further, it presents literature on e-commerce frameworks, ICT dzfusion, and ICTs in developing countries that shed light on diferent aspects of e-commerce in Sub-Saharan Africa. Finally, it proposes a consolidating framework that synthesizes these various literature streams and lays groundwork for a focused body of research in this area.