Digital Opportunities in African Businesses (International Finance Corporation Research Series)

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Synopsis
Adoption of digital technologies is widely acknowledged to boost productivity and employment, stimulate investment, and promote growth and development. Africa has already benefited from a rapid diffusion of information and communications technology, characterized by the widespread adoption of mobile phones. However, access to and use of digital technology among firms is uneven in the region, varying not just among countries but also within them. Consequently, African businesses may not be reaping the full potential benefits offered by ongoing improvements in digital infrastructure. Using rich datasets, Digital Opportunities in African Businesses offers a new understanding of the region’s incomplete digitalization—namely, shortfalls in the adoption and effective use of digital technology by firms to perform productive tasks. The research presented here also highlights the challenges in addressing incomplete digitalization, finding that the cost of machinery, equipment, and software, as well as the cost of connectivity to the internet, is significantly more expensive in Africa than elsewhere. Digital Opportunities in African Businesses outlines ways in which the private sector, with support from policy makers, international institutions, and regulators, can help bring down these costs, stimulating more widespread digitalization of the region’s firms, thereby boosting productivity and, by extension, economic development. This book will be relevant to anyone with an interest in furthering digitalization across Africa. ------------------------------------------- It is clear that new digital technologies are opening up new opportunities for economic growth. But will African firms be able to take advantage of them? If so, how? To gain traction on these questions, we first need careful empirical research on what firms are currently doing, and rigorous thinking about what is getting in the way of greater adoption. This book delivers on both dimensions. It marries carefully collected new evidence with thoughtful, no-nonsense analysis of firm behavior and how markets are evolving. It is highly recommended reading for researchers and policymakers alike. — Eric Verhoogen, Professor of International and Public Affairs and of Economics, Columbia University
Copyright:
2024

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
Book Size:
210 Pages
ISBN-13:
9781464820892
Related ISBNs:
9781464820885
Publisher:
World Bank Publications
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
Nonfiction, Business and Finance, Communication
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.
Edited by:
Marcio Cruz

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