Published December 16, 2024 | Version v1
Journal article Open

The Transformative Role of Digital Technologies in Female Entrepreneurship in Africa: A Focus on E-Commerce, Fintech, and Agritech

Contributors

Hosting institution:

Description

This paper highlights the role of digital technologies in reworking women's entrepreneurship in Africa focusing on e-commerce, fintech, and agritech. Digital platforms, such as Jumia and M-Pesa, create avenues for empowering women with increased market access and financial inclusions; these avenues allow women to rise above the traditional constriction of a lack of mobility and lack of finance. Agritech solutions, such as FarmDrive, help woman farmers based on data-driven agricultural practices. Notwithstanding these developments, there are still challenges to encounter, such as the gender digital divide, limited technical skills, and restricted access to capital. This study therefore calls for focused digital literacy programs, gender-inclusive policies, and innovative models of finances that have the potential to unlock the full potential of women entrepreneurs in Africa, enabling their contributions toward economic growth to be inclusive.

Files

Files (432.2 kB)

Name Size
md5:d78d43f7b9a39d6864337f763de02c1c
432.2 kB Download

Additional details

Identifiers

URL
https://journal.medtigo.com/the-transformative-role-of-digital-technologies-in-female-entrepreneurship-in-africa-a-focus-on-e-commerce-fintech-and-agritech/?article_type=journal-of-pharmacology

Related works

Is published in
Journal: 3065-4661 (ISSN)

Dates

Accepted
2024-11-15

References

  • 1. International Finance Corporation (IFC). Women and E-Commerce in Africa. 2021. https://www.ifc.org/en/insights-reports/2021/women-and-ecommerce-africa
  • 2. World Bank Group. The Global Findex Database 2017 : Measuring Financial Inclusion and the Fintech Revolution (English). 2018. https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/332881525873182837/the-global-findex-database-2017-measuring-financial-inclusion-and-the-fintech-revolution
  • 3. Donor Committee for Enterprise Development (DCED). Bridging the Digital Gender Divide: Include, upskill, innovate – OECD (2018). 2018. https://www.enterprise-development.org/bridging-the-digital-gender-divide-include-upskill-innovate-oecd-2018/
  • 4. Spanaki K, Sivarajah U, Fakhimi M, Despoudi S, Irani Z. Disruptive technologies in agricultural operations: a systematic review of AI-driven AgriTech research. Ann Oper Res. 2022;308(1-2):491-524. doi:10.1007/s10479-020-03922-z
  • 5. Turchyn L, Kunešová H. E-commerce as a modern paradigm of formation and use of marketing tools. Trendy v Podnikání. 2022;12(2):88-100. doi:10.24132/jbt.2022.12.2.88_100
  • 6. Rosário A, Raimundo R. Consumer marketing strategy and e-commerce in the last decade: a literature review. J Theor Appl Electron Commer Res. 2021;16(7):3003-3024. doi:10.3390/jtaer16070164
  • 7. Brahem M, Boussema S. Social media entrepreneurship as an opportunity for women: the case of Facebook-commerce. Int J Entrep Innov. 2023;24(3):191-201. doi:10.1177/14657503211066010
  • 8. Kataria DK, Phukan DR. Social media and digital marketing of women entrepreneurs in NCR. Veethika Int Interdiscip Res J. 2022;8(4):9-15. doi:10.48001/veethika.2022.08.04.002
  • 9. Lavilles R, Tinam-Isan MA, Sala EL. Social media as an enabler of women's entrepreneurial empowerment during the pandemic. Asian J Women Stud. 2023;29(1):136-153. doi:10.1080/12259276.2023.2186633
  • 10. Boshmaf H. Jordanian women entrepreneurs and the role of social media: the road to empowerment. Dirasat Hum Soc Sci. 2023;50(3):139-152. doi:10.35516/hum.v50i3.5402
  • 11. Chebet N. The role of women on agricultural sector growth. Int J Agric. 2023;8(1):41-50. doi:10.47604/ija.1980
  • 12. Fox G, Mooney J, Rosati P, Lynn T. AgriTech innovators: a study of initial adoption and continued use of a mobile digital platform by family-operated farming enterprises. Agriculture. 2021;11(12):1283. doi:10.3390/agriculture11121283
  • 13. Rialti R, Marrucci A, Zollo L, Ciappei C. Digital technologies, sustainable open innovation and shared value creation: evidence from an Italian agritech business. Br Food J. 2022;124(6):1838-1856. doi:10.1108/BFJ-03-2021-0327
  • 14. Mbeteh A, Pellegrini MM. An integrated framework of entrepreneurial competencies and pedagogical approaches in Sierra Leone. In: Mbeteh A, Pellegrini MM, eds. Entrepreneurship Education in Africa: A Contextual Model for Competencies and Pedagogies in Developing Countries. Emerald Publishing Limited; 2022:89-106. doi:10.1108/978-1-83909-702-720221010
  • 15. Rao NH. Electronic commerce and opportunities for agribusiness in India. Outlook Agric. 2003;32(1):29-33. doi:10.5367/000000003101294235
  • 16. Ollerenshaw A, Corbett J, Thompson H. Increasing the digital literacy skills of regional SMEs through high-speed broadband access. Small Enterp Res. 2021;28(2):115-133. doi:10.1080/13215906.2021.1919913
  • 17. Dai Q, Kauffman RJ. B2B e-commerce revisited: leading perspectives on the key issues and research directions. Electron Mark. 2002;12(2):67-83. doi:10.1080/10196780252844517
  • 18. Kalinić Z, Ranković V, Kalinić L. Challenges in cross-border e-commerce in the European Union. Zesz Nauk UE Krakowie. 2019;5(977):159-170. doi:10.15678/ZNUEK.2018.0977.0510
  • 19. Silva EC. Social and political challenges of the Digital Single Market and of increasing connectivity: digital literacy and network power. UNIO - EU Law J. 2018;4(2):33-41. doi:10.21814/unio.4.2.4
  • 20. Natile S. Regulating exclusions? Gender, development, and the limits of inclusionary financial platforms. Int J Law Context. 2019;15(4):461-478. doi:10.1017/S1744552319000417
  • 21. Geetha, Kalaiselvi. Impact of fintech innovations: expanding access and empowering communities. Int J Multidiscip Res. 2023;5(5):7518. doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2023.v05i05.7518
  • 22. Odei-Appiah S, Wiredu G, Adjei JK. Fintech use, digital divide, and financial inclusion. Dig Policy Regul Gov. 2022;24(5):435-448. doi:10.1108/DPRG-09-2021-0111
  • 23. Shrestha R, Tamang L. Financial inclusion through fintech innovation: predicting user acceptance of digital wallet. The Batuk. 2023;9(2):37-48. doi:10.3126/batuk.v9i2.57026
  • 24. Banna H, Mia MA, Nourani M, Yarovaya L. Fintech-based financial inclusion and risk-taking of microfinance institutions (MFIs): evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa. Finance Res Lett. 2022;45:102149. doi:10.1016/j.frl.2021.102149
  • 25. Bollaert H, Lopez-de-Silanes F, Schwienbacher A. Fintech and access to finance. J Corp Finance. 2021;68:101941. doi:10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2021.101941
  • 26. Woldie A, Mwangaza Laurence B, Thomas B. Challenges of finance accessibility by SMEs in the Democratic Republic of Congo: is gender a constraint? Invest Manag Financ Innov. 2018;15(2):40-50. doi:10.21511/imfi.15(2).2018.04
  • 27. Shin HS, Gambacorta L, Frost J, Doerr S, Chen S. The fintech gender gap. SSRN Electron J. 2021. doi:10.2139/ssrn.3799864
  • 28. Alsos GA, Ljunggren E. The role of gender in entrepreneur-investor relationships: a signaling theory approach. Entrep Theory Pract. 2017;41(4):567-590. doi:10.1111/etap.12226
  • 29. Masuku MM, Mthembu Z, Mlambo VH. Gendered effects of land access and ownership on food security in rural settings in South Africa. Front Sustain Food Syst. 2023;7:1158946. doi:10.3389/fsufs.2023.1158946
  • 30. Jarial S, Sachan S. Digital agriculture through extension advisory services: is it gender-responsive? A review. Int J Agric Ext. 2021;9(3):559-566. doi:10.33687/ijae.009.03.3687
  • 31. Lemke S, Yousefi F, Eisermann A, Bellows A. Sustainable livelihoods approaches for exploring smallholder agricultural programs targeted at women: examples from South Africa. J Agric Food Syst Community Dev. 2012;25-41. doi:10.5304/jafscd.2012.031.001
  • 32. Brenya R, Akomea-Frimpong I, Ofosu D, Adeabah D. Barriers to sustainable agribusiness: a systematic review and conceptual framework. J Agribus Dev Emerg Econ. 2023;13(4):570-589. doi:10.1108/JADEE-08-2021-0191
  • 33. Mandipaka F. An investigation of the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in developing countries: a case of King Williams' Town, South Africa. Mediterr J Soc Sci. 2014. doi:10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n27p1187
  • 34. Spanaki K, Sivarajah U, Fakhimi M, Despoudi S, Irani Z. Disruptive technologies in agricultural operations: a systematic review of AI-driven agritech research. Ann Oper Res. 2022;308(1–2):491-524. doi:10.1007/s10479-020-03922-z