“Digital Business Transformation in Africa, Volume II is an essential resource for understanding the dynamic shifts shaping the continent’s digital economy. Grounded in over a decade of empirical research and policy engagement, this book introduces innovative concepts – digital empathy, trust recalibration, and bifurcated participation – to provide a fresh perspective on how African consumers engage with and influence digital platforms. Designed for business academics, students in higher education, industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators seeking to harness Africa’s digital potential, this book provides a valuable guide to thriving in an increasingly connected and technology-driven marketplace.” (Prof. Fred A. Yamoah, Professor of Business and Society, Buckinghamshire New University, United Kingdom)
“This contribution is a simply fascinating collection of research into the world of African digital business. Brimming with deep insight and intimate attention to locality, the chapters in this book achieve a welcome and considered departure from the heterodoxy that plagues digital research in African contexts. With particular relevance to academic researchers and advanced students, this second volume of the series makes a powerful contribution to the field and the continent.” (Prof. Greg Lee, Professor of Digital Business, Wits Business School, Johannesburg, South Africa)
“Digital Business Transformation in Africa, Volume II is a rich, courageous, and compelling follow-up that deepens the story of Africa’s digital emergence. Where the first volume highlighted the architecture of business models, this one shifts the lens to the very people whose everyday choices, emotions, and cultural expressions give life to digital transformation across the continent. What I find especially powerful is the book’s insistence that we move beyond metrics – beyond downloads, adoption rates, and infrastructure counts – to understand how Africans feel, trust, and act within digital environments. It makes the invisible visible: emojis that build connections, chatbots that confuse or comfort, and young users who challenge platforms with activism and creativity. Through this, the volume redefines digital innovation as not just a technical act, but a profoundly human one. With theoretical depth and practical wisdom, this book brings us closer to the soul of Africa’s digital future. It is a significant contribution to scholarship and a gift to practitioners who wish to engage African markets with insight and integrity. Bold, grounded, and necessary – this is digital business scholarship at its best.” (Prof. Michael Boadi Nyamekye, University of Professional Studies, Accra, Ghana)
“Digital Business Transformation in Africa, Volume II is a significant and intellectually rich contribution to the study of digital ecosystems in African markets. With deep empirical grounding and original theoretical insights – from trust-centric adaptations of TAM to the nuanced role of digital empathy in chatbot design – this volume redefines how digital engagement should be understood in culturally complex, resource-constrained environments. Its regionally attuned frameworks, like the Adaptive Digital Commerce Model and AECB, are indispensable for researchers and practitioners alike. This book does more than analyze Africa’s digital future – it positions the continent as a conceptual frontier for global digital transformation thinking.” (Prof. Prince Baah-Peprah, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurial and Alternative Finance, University of Agder, Norway, and Vice President of the Academy of African Business and Development)
“This book, Digital Business Transformation in Africa, Vol II is well-timed and a must read for students, business leaders, policymakers, and entrepreneurs steering the continent’s rapidly evolving digital landscape. The book has insightful analysis, and real-world case studies and captures the unique opportunities and challenges of digital transformation in Africa. The various chapters offer practical strategies for leveraging technology to drive enterprise growth and innovation particularly in Africa. It is a must-read for anyone interested in knowing the future of Africa’s digital revolution.” (Kwame Adom Ph.D. Associate Professor of Business, School of Business, Burman University, Alberta, Canada)
“This book is an essential resource for understanding the dynamic shifts shaping the continent’s digital economy. Grounded in over a decade of empirical research and policy engagement, it introduces innovative concepts – digital empathy, trust recalibration, and bifurcated participation – to provide a fresh perspective on how African consumers engage with and influence digital platforms.”
—Prof. Fred A. Yamoah, Professor of Business and Society, Buckinghamshire New University, United Kingdom
As Africa’s digital economy expands rapidly, it presents a wealth of opportunities for both micro and macroeconomic development. This book, the second of two volumes, offers a comprehensive examination of how digital technologies are altering the way companies interact with customers and the continent’s broader digital ecosystem.
Drawing on a rich mix of empirical studies and conceptual frameworks, this volume examines key themes at the forefront of Africa’s digital revolution. It explores the impact of super-apps and IoT on consumer interactions, the role of mobile technologies in shaping African digital ecosystems, and the multifaceted influence of digital technologies on socio-economic development. The book delves into cutting-edge customer engagement strategies, including the use of short-form video content, chatbots, and emojis in digital customer service, providing empirical insights into their effectiveness in the African context. Furthermore, this volume offers nuanced analyses of social media’s role in brand engagement and e-commerce, exploring generational dynamics and cross-country trends. It also examines the intersection of digital activism and brand management, offering valuable insights for companies navigating the complex socio-political landscape of African markets. It will be of great interest to scholars and students of innovation strategy and business in Africa.
Thomas Anning-Dorson is an Associate Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. His research, teaching and consultancy work has explored value at the corporate, customer, and societal levels, in the fields of innovation, the digital economy, marketing, and strategy, and with a specific focus on Africa and emerging markets. He has contributed to research projects at the University of Oxford, McGill University and the University of Ghana. He has published widely in books and journals.
About the Author
Thomas Anning-Dorson is an Associate Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. His research, teaching and consultancy work has explored value at the corporate, customer, and societal levels, in the fields of innovation, the digital economy, marketing, and strategy, and with a specific focus on Africa and emerging markets. He has contributed to research projects at the University of Oxford, McGill University and the University of Ghana. He has published widely in books and journals.
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