Trade Analyst, International Trade Centre

The sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region has witnessed notable progress in business digitalization over the past decade, yet part of its potential remains untapped. This chapter uses the International Trade Centre’s Enterprise Digital Transformation Index (e-DTI) to examine how companies in SSA can fully reap the benefits of digitalisation.  Using a novel dataset comprising over 7000 enterprises, this chapter stresses how both firm-level actions, as well as policies and interventions at the business environment and national levels, are critical to advance digital transformation among firms, and economies, in SSA. 
First, the creation of a digital-supportive environment is critical as SSA’s digital readiness lags behind other regions of the world. The lower level of digital readiness in the region results in lower digital transformation for firms, compared to those in the rest of the world.  Digital skills, a key driver of firm digital transformation, are particularly deficient in SSA.