A Customized e-Shopping System for SMEs in Developing Countries: Cases from the sub Saharan Desert of Africa

There are a myriad of problems facing developing nations' SMEs among which is the lack of institutional infrastructures for ICT adoption and usage. This paper tailors an existing e-Shopping model to the peculiar needs of SMEs in sub Saharan desert of Africa with a view to enter and participate in the competitive global market for goods and services. Various issues affecting the development and implementation of e-Shopping for developing nations' businesses were identified. Solutions to these shortcomings are proposed, and an easy way of developing e-Shopping for developing nations' SMEs is presented. A model that signifies the digital divide between multi-national and SMEs in developing nations is also presented.

Index Terms: ICT, Infrastructure, Internet, Market Coverage, SMEs, sub Saharan Africa.

DOI: 10.4038/icter.v2i2.1387

The International Journal on Advances in ICT for Emerging Regions 2009 02 (02): 38-46