Digital Business in Africa: Social Media and Related Technologies—An Introduction

Digitalisation is transforming economies and societies around the world, including Africa. More and more people and businesses in Africa are connecting to the internet and using a wide range of digital technologies. Africa’s digital economy is expanding at an unprecedented speed and scope, thereby creating huge opportunities for enterprises on the continent. Digital platforms, an omnipresent phenomenon, are at the heart of the digital economy, creating robust and dynamic marketplaces where suppliers, customers, service providers collaborate to carry out business transactions. Africa is uniquely positioned, and digital platforms offer a wide range of market opportunities and value creation potential for agile, innovative, and highly adaptable African enterprises. Surprisingly, the phenomenon of digital platforms, especially social media platforms and related technologies, is yet to receive sufficient academic attention in Africa. This book is among the few to explore how African businesses utilise social media platforms and related digital technologies in the design, process, and delivery of goods and services to increase efficiency as well as effectively respond to customers’ demands.