The drivers and barriers to e-commerce are often two sides of the same coin.
The growth of mobile phones on the continent is counter-balanced by the fact that African marketplaces are not optimized for mobile use.
Challenges to the growth of e-commerce can be grouped into three broad categories.
Economic: relate to ICT and telecommunications infrastructure and use, electricity supply, underdeveloped financial systems, and lack of purchasing power;
Socio-political: relate to the lack of regulatory frameworks that support consumer confidence and help overcome cultural preferences for face-to-face interaction; and
Cognitive: relate to limited knowledge and awareness, and the skills required to successfully engage in domestic or cross-border e-commerce transactions.
