Digital Service Delivery in Africa Platforms and Practices

The dynamics of the world’s pervasive digital technologies is transforming organisations and enabling enterprises to create sustainable competitive advantage. This presents huge economic opportunities for Africa. This book responds to the need for African enterprises and organisations—particularly those in the service sector—to fully exploit the inherent potential in digital platforms by putting in place processes to respond effectively to changing consumer demands. Digital service delivery is conceptualised as a key driver of effective management and service delivery across the value chain of businesses. The authors offer insights into the opportunities, drivers, structures, and models of digital service delivery specific to the African context, using case studies and country-based themes that highlight how the adoption of digital platforms and practices can transform service delivery for value-creation. The book examines the scope and applications of digital businesses, emphasising the emergence, value-creation, and strategic implications for Africa’s private and public enterprises. Students, entrepreneurs, IT innovators, academics, and policymakers will gain a greater understanding of how digitalisation is shaping consumer expectations, industry practices, and service delivery in Africa.

Part 1. Digital Service Delivery - Introduction and the African Context

Chapter 1. Digital Service Delivery in Africa- An Introduction (by Ogechi Adeola, Jude N. Edeh, Robert E. Hinson and Fulufhelo Netswera)

Chapter 2. Digital Channels Catalysing Businesses in Fast Expanding African markets (by Esi Elliot, Robert E. Hinson, Anthony Annan and Martin J. Eppler)

Chapter 3. The Role of African Founded Businesses in expanding the digital economy (by Ebimo Amungo)

Chapter 4. Customer Relationship Management and Business Performance: Do Digital Platform capabilities matter? (by Jude N. Edeh)

Chapter 5. Digital Supply Chain and Logistics in Africa (by Marvel Ogah and Raymond Onuoha) .- Part II. Country- Based Themes and Practices

Chapter 6. Digital Entrepreneurship in Africa: Case studies of Nigeria and South Sudan (by Itoro Emembolu, Charles Emembolu, Olumide Aderinwale and Emmanuel Lobijo)

Chapter 7. Digital Stokvel for Entrepreneurship Promotion in South Africa: Merits and Demerits (by Ishmael Iwara)

Chapter 8. Banking the Cocoa Farmer in Ghana: The Role of Mobile Technology (by Robert Ebo Hinson and Louis Numelio Tettey)

Chapter 9. Strategy in Digital Business – The East African Perspective by Paul Katuse

Chapter 10. Digitalisation and Public Sector Service Delivery in Kenya (by Abel Kinoti Meru and Mary Wanjiru Kinoti)

Part 3. Recommendations for Skill Requirements in Digital Service Delivery

Chapter 11. Digital Skills and Strategic Postures: Insights from African Entrepreneurs (by Nasiru Taura)

Chapter 12. Developing and Managing Skills and Competencies for Digital Business in Africa (by Isaiah Adisa and Ogechi Adeola)

Chapter 13. Virtual Teams: The New Work Norm for the Post Covid-19 Era (by Abdullah Promise Opute)

Chapter 14. Netiquette: Towards Digital Etiquette in Africa (by J. N. Halm).

Ogechi Adeola is Associate Professor of Marketing and Head of Department of Operations, Marketing and Information Systems at the Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University, Nigeria.

Jude N. Edeh is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Chair of Business as Unusual: Innovation Practices and New Business Models, Kedge Business School, Marseille, France.

Robert E. Hinson is a Professor at the University of Ghana and the Lincoln International Business School, UK.

Fulufhelo Netswera is the Executive Dean Faculty of Management Sciences at Durban University of Technology, South Africa.