80 Million Young People to Benefit from the Rise of Digital Commerce in Africa

Digital commerce, or e-commerce, is an emerging sector across Africa. By 2030, more than 10 percent of its largely informal workforce will be using digital platforms. These workers will participate in digital commerce as consumers and, with a supportive policy environment, may also become a new group of workers called iWorkers. These digitally connected young people who are entering the workforce will generate income in the 'gig economy', through direct employment with large platforms such as Amazon and Alibaba, and through small enterprises, eventually leading to more formalized work.
Digital Commerce and Youth Employment in Africa goes on to say that governments in Africa can immediately adopt three approaches to future-proof themselves and African youth for the various scenarios associated with the undeniable emergence of digital commerce. They include:
- Gathering better data on digital commerce and employment.
- Monitoring evolving trends and promoting a wider understanding by policymakers of the issues of digital commerce.
- Prioritizing the development of digital commerce skills in digital customer relationship management and marketing.
For more information on this new research, please visit www.mastercardfdn.org/digitalcommerce