Download or read book Mobile Phones and Development in Africa written by Jenny C. Aker and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-11-30 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book focuses on the impact of information technology on the lives and livelihoods of rural households in sub-Saharan Africa, where simple mobile phones have leapfrogged traditional communication and financial technologies, and thus, arguably, offer some of the greatest potential for development. Drawing on primary and secondary research from a variety of disciplines, the authors examine the evolution of mobile phone coverage and adoption in sub-Saharan Africa over the past two decades, before exploring the main channels through which mobile phones can affect development. They then review initiatives on “digitizing development” and evaluate empirical evidence on their impact. The book argues that digital has yet to live up to the hype, ending with a set of questions that stakeholders should ask (and answer) when using digital technology for promoting development.
Download or read book Mobile Phones and Economic Development in Africa written by Jenny C. Aker and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We examine the growth of mobile phone technology over the past decade and consider its potential impacts upon quality of life in low-income countries, with a particular focus on sub-Saharan Africa. We first provide an overview of the patterns and determinants of mobile phone coverage in sub-Saharan Africa before describing the characteristics of primary and secondary mobile phone adopters on the continent. We then discuss the channels through which mobile phone technology can impact development outcomes, both as a positive externality of the communication sector and as part of mobile phone-based development projects, and analyze existing evidence. While current research suggests that mobile phone coverage and adoption have had positive impacts on agricultural and labor market efficiency and welfare in certain countries, empirical evidence is still somewhat limited. In addition, mobile phone technology cannot serve as the “silver bullet” for development in sub-Saharan Africa. Careful impact evaluations of mobile phone development projects are required to better understand their impacts upon economic and social outcomes, and mobile phone technology must work in partnership with other public good provision and investment.
Download or read book The African Mobile Story written by Knud Erik Skouby and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2022-09-01 with total page 179 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Africa and especially Sub-Saharan Africa has during the past decade witnessed one of the fastest growing markets in mobile communication. This growth is recognized to have played a pivotal role in Africa’s socio-economic development. It has had a huge impact on residential living patterns; on business networks and models; and on government services and income sources. The mobile industry has contributed more to economic growth than in any other comparable region globally introducing innovative, broadly used applications. Technical topics discussed in the book include:• Mobile Development in Sub-Saharan Africa;• Telecom Liberalization in Africa;• Role of Mobile in Socio-economic Development;• Mobile Applications in specific sectors;• Security in African Mobile;• Role of Prepaid in Africa
Download or read book Mobile Phones The New Talking Drums of Everyday Africa written by Mirjam de Bruijn and published by African Books Collective. This book was released on 2009 with total page 183 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'We cannot imagine life now without a mobile phone' is a frequent comment when Africans are asked about mobile phones. They have become part and parcel of the communication landscape in many urban and rural areas of Africa and the growth of mobile telephony is amazing: from 1 in 50 people being users in 2000 to 1 in 3 in 2008. Such growth is impressive but it does not even begin to tell us about the many ways in which mobile phones are being appropriated by Africans and how they are transforming or are being transformed by society in Africa. This volume ventures into such appropriation and mutual shaping. Rich in theoretical innovation and empirical substantiation, it brings together reflections on developments around the mobile phone by scholars of six African countries (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Mali, Sudan and Tanzania) who explore the economic, social and cultural contexts in which the mobile phone is being adopted, adapted and harnessed by mobile Africa.
Download or read book Mobile Phones and Economic Development in Africa written by Jenny C. Aker and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 45 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jenny Aker and Isaac Mbiti examine the growth of mobile phone technology over the past decade and consider its potential impacts upon quality of life in low-income countries, with a particular focus on sub-Saharan Africa. They first provide an overview of the patterns and determinants of mobile phone coverage in sub-Saharan Africa before describing the characteristics of primary and secondary mobile phone adopters on the continent. They then discuss the channels through which mobile phone technology can impact development outcomes, both as a positive externality of the communication sector and as part of mobile phone-based development projects, and analyze existing evidence. While current research suggests that mobile phone coverage and adoption have had positive impacts on agricultural and labor market efficiency and welfare in certain countries, empirical evidence is still somewhat limited. In addition, mobile phone technology cannot serve as the “silver bullet” for development in sub-Saharan Africa. Careful impact evaluations of mobile phone development projects are required to better understand their impacts upon economic and social outcomes, and mobile phone technology must work in partnership with other public good provision and investment.
Download or read book The Rise of Africa s Middle Class written by Henning Melber and published by Zed Books Ltd.. This book was released on 2016-12-15 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Across Africa, a burgeoning middle class has become the poster child for the 'Africa rising' narrative. Ambitious, aspirational and increasingly affluent, this group is said to embody the values and hopes of the new Africa, with international bodies ranging from the United Nations Development Programme to the World Bank regarding them as important agents of both economic development and democratic change. This narrative, however, obscures the complex and often ambiguous role that this group actually plays in African societies. Bringing together economists, political scientists, anthropologists and development experts, and spanning a variety of case studies from across the continent, this collection provides a much-needed corrective to the received wisdom within development circles, and provides a fresh perspective on social transformations in contemporary Africa.
Download or read book Accelerants for Growth in Africa written by Vijay Mahajan and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 7 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Impact of Mobile Phones on Poverty and Inequality in Developing Countries written by Jeffrey James and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-12-23 with total page 99 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book investigates at both the micro- and macroeconomic levels the impact of mobile phones on poverty and inequality in developing countries. To gauge the effects of mobile phones on these aspects, the author refers to the standard concept of technology adoption and also analyses the actual utilization of mobile phones as a means of communication and the degree to which they have supplanted fixed-line phones. Readers will learn why the substitution effect is stronger among poor than rich users and why the benefits of some mobile phone projects are confined to the local or village level, while in other projects the gains can be felt throughout the economy as a whole.
Download or read book Inclusive Development In Africa written by Gumede, Vusi and published by Africa Institute of South Africa. This book was released on 2018-05-22 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book addresses a fundamental developmental challenge for Africa: given all that we know about pertinent issues, what should be done to ensure effective development in Africa? The changing imperatives of international development, the reform of international finance institutions and the growth-development nexus debates as well as varied implications for Africa emanating from global economic crises are critical if Africa’s development is to be better understood. Undoubtedly, revisiting the origins, contexts, complexities and contradictions of the lopsided global order and their effects on development and implications for Africa’s development is necessary. Contributions emphasise the need to radically transform global relations and to accelerate the pursuit of our quest for inclusive development in Africa; acknowledging that we must further problematise Africa’s development in the context of the obtaining global power dynamics and systematically examine the implications of the global economic crises for women as well as for land and agrarian reforms. The book is a timely contribution to our understanding of the global realities confronting Africa, with specific suggestions on how to improve development.
Download or read book The Mobile Phone Information Sharing and Financial Sector Development in Africa written by Simplice Asongu and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study investigates linkages between the mobile phone, information sharing offices (ISO) and financial sector development in 53 African countries for the period 2004-2011. ISO are private credit bureaus and public credit registries. The empirical evidence is based on contemporary and non-contemporary quantile regressions. Two main hypotheses are tested: mobile phones complement ISO to enhance the formal financial sector ( Hypothesis 1 ) and mobile phones complement ISO to reduce the informal financial sector ( Hypothesis 2 ). The hypotheses are largely confirmed. This research adds to the existing body of literature by engaging hitherto unexplored dimensions of financial sector development and investigating the role of mobile phones in information sharing for financial sector development.
Download or read book Institutions Technology and Development in Africa written by Jeffrey James and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-12-07 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An extensive literature has demonstrated that technologies in sub-Saharan Africa are largely inappropriate: that is, that they are typically capital- and import-intensive rather than labour- and local input-intensive. These technologies have created a pattern of development that is highly unequal, with widespread unemployment and under-employment. In this literature, however, relatively little attention has been paid to the institutions that govern the generation, adoption and use of technology. This book draws on historical analysis and case studies to evaluate how institutions in different countries, including those in Africa itself, generate technologies that vary in their characteristics and suitability for the region. Through these case studies, insight is gained into the characteristics of ‘appropriate’ institutions that might underlie a more balanced pattern of technology and development than currently exists. The findings of the book clearly confirm a major tenet of institutionalist theory: namely, that institutions developed in one set of circumstances are unlikely to be appropriate to conditions in a markedly different set. This book will be of interest to economists, social historians and anyone with an interest in modern African development.
Download or read book Mobile Phone Panel Surveys in Developing Countries written by Andrew Dabalen and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2016-07-12 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Household survey data are very useful for monitoring living conditions of citizens of any country. In developing countries, a lot of this data are collected through “traditional†? face-to-face household surveys. Due to the remote and dispersed nature of many populations in developing countries, but also because of the complex nature of many survey questionnaires, collection of timely welfare data has often proved expensive and logistically challenging. Yet, there is a need for faster, cheaper to collect, lighter, more nimble data collection methods to address data gaps between big household surveys. The recent proliferation of mobile phone networks has opened new possibilities. By combining baseline data from a traditional household survey with subsequent interviews of selected respondents using mobile phones, this facilitates welfare monitoring and opinion polling almost real time. The purpose of this handbook is to contribute to the development of the new field of mobile phone data collection in developing countries. The handbook documents how this innovative approach to data collection works, its advantages and challenges. The handbook draws primarily from the authors’ first-hand experiences with mobile phone surveys in Africa and also benefits from experiences elsewhere. It is intended to serve a diverse audience including those involved in collecting (representative) data using mobile phones, and those using data collected through this approach. For those who will be implementing a mobile phone panel survey, the different chapters guide them through every stage of the implementation process. For potential users of the data collected via mobile phone technology, the handbook presents a new approach to data collection which they can use for monitoring programs and facilitate almost real time decision-making. A further purpose of this book is to contribute to the debate regarding the advantages of the method as well as the challenges associated with it.
Download or read book Introduction to Special Issue written by Simplice Asongu and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 7 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The primary objective of this special issue is to showcase high-quality interdisciplinary research in the field of mobile phone technology and inclusive economic development, with a view to inspire and educate readers and policy makers on the vital role of mobile phones in economic development in Africa. We hope that the articles in this special issue will encourage academics and policy makers to carry out more research on the challenges and opportunities mobile phone technology offers in our quest to develop our communities.
Download or read book Accelerants for Growth in Africa written by Vijay Mahajan and published by FT Press. This book was released on 2010-09-13 with total page 18 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the eBook version of the printed book. This Element is an excerpt from Africa Rising: How 900 Million African Consumers Offer More Than You Think (9780132339421) by Vijay Mahajan. Available in print and digital formats. Discover Africa, the world’s fastest-growing cellphone market—and learn how those cellphones are creating a foundation for breakthrough growth. There are now more than 130 million Africans with cell phone subscriptions, and it is the fastest growing mobile phone market in the world. A 2007 study by the Africa Media Development Initiative found that cell phones were achieving a compound annual growth rate of 85 percent or more in 10 of the 17 African nations surveyed...
Download or read book Mobile Phone Penetration Mobile Banking and Inclusive Development in Africa written by Simplice Asongu and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 25 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The study assesses the role of mobile phones and mobile banking in decreasing inequality in 52 African countries. The empirical procedure involves first, examining the income-redistributive effect of mobile phone penetration and then investigating the contribution of mobile banking services in this relationship. The findings suggest an equalizing income-redistributive effect of 'mobile phone penetration' and 'mobile banking', with a higher income-equalizing effect from mobile banking compared to mobile phone penetration. Poverty alleviation channels explaining this difference in inequality mitigating propensity are discussed.
Download or read book Mobile Phone Innovation and Doing Business in Sub Saharan Africa written by Simplice Asongu and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study assesses how knowledge diffusion modulates the effect of the mobile phone on entrepreneurship or doing business in Sub-Saharan Africa. The empirical evidence is based on Generalised Method of Moments in which mobile phones are interacted with three knowledge diffusion variables, namely: education, internet penetration and scientific output. Ten variables of entrepreneurship are used. The following three main findings are established. First, the net effects from interacting mobile phones with the internet and scientific publications are negative whereas the corresponding net impact from the interaction between mobile phones and education is positive on the cost of doing business. Second, the mobile phone interacts with education (the internet) to have a positive (negative) net effect on the time needed to construct a warehouse whereas, the corresponding interaction with the internet yields a net negative effect on the time to enforce a contract. Third, there is a positive net effect from the interaction of mobile phones with education on the time to start a business. Given the construction of the education variable, the positive net effects from education are consistent with corresponding negative net effects from the other knowledge diffusion variables.
Download or read book SMS Uprising Mobile Activism in Africa written by Sokari Ekine and published by Fahamu/Pambazuka. This book was released on 2010-01-30 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Providing a unique insight into how activists and social change advocates are addressing Africa's many challenges from within, this collection of essays by those engaged in using mobile phone technologies for social change provides an analysis of the socioeconomic, political, and media contexts faced by activists in Africa today. The articles address a broad range of issues--including inequalities in access to technology based on gender and rural and urban usage--and it offers practical examples of how activists are using mobile technology to organize and document their experiences. An overview of the lessons learned in making effective use of mobile phone technologies without any of the romanticism so often associated with the use of new technologies for social change is given. Examples are shared in a way that makes them easy to replicate, hoping to lead to greater reflection about the real potential and limitations of mobile technologies. Contributors include Ken Banks, Nathan Eagle, Anil Naidoo, Berna Ngolobe, and Juliana Rotich.
