Challenges and Opportunities for Egypt's SMEs in Adopting E-commerce: A Survey Study

Egypt's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face significant challenges in adopting e-commerce solutions, which can enhance their market reach, efficiency, and competitiveness. The research employs a quantitative survey approach with a sample size of 250 SME owners across various sectors in Egypt. Data was collected through an online questionnaire designed to assess the level of e-commerce adoption, perceived benefits, and identified obstacles. SMEs in Egypt report high levels of interest in adopting e-commerce (89%), yet they face significant challenges such as limited digital skills among employees (65%) and insufficient infrastructure support (70%). Despite the prevalent interest, Egyptian SMEs struggle with both technological barriers and human resource issues. The findings suggest a need for targeted training programmes and supportive policies to foster e-commerce adoption. Policy makers should prioritise investment in digital literacy initiatives and infrastructure development to support SMEs' e-commerce efforts. Practitioners are advised to leverage government grants and subsidies to alleviate financial constraints.