CGE Launches African Platform Survey

January 26, 2015 | By Monica Debban

In the past several years, there has been significant growth in platform companies operating in Africa. E-commerce platforms like Kalahari, Konga, Jumia and BidorBuy provide vibrant on-line marketplaces for an increasingly connected African population. Global transportation platforms like Uber compete with local players like SnappCab in South Africa and Tranzit in Nigeria. While entertainment platforms like Spotify, Pandora and Netflix do not have offerings in Africa, platforms like iROKOTV, Zikify, Kleek and Afrinolly have been launched locally to fill the void. There are even freelance platforms beginning to emerge such as Ajumah and Jolancer.

 

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Dr. Olayinka David-West Lagos Business School, Nigeria

To better understand the platform dynamics in Africa, the Center for Global Enterprise is excited to work with Dr. Olayinka David-West. Dr. David-West will prepare a database and report on the emerging platform business landscape. The survey will explore digital platform companies operating in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Cameroon and Tanzania among other countries, as well as a broad range of sectors including accommodation, education, finance/payments, real estate, travel, transportation, and online work. Her analysis will provide an important contribution to the larger Emerging Platform Economy project initiated by the Center for Global Enterprise in a partnership with the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

 

 

 

Dr. David-West is well positioned to analyze and provide insights into Africa’s rapidly expanding platform companies. She is a senior fellow in the Operations, Information Systems and Marketing Division of Lagos Business School and the academic director at the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of Pan-Atlantic University. She has over two decades experience in the Nigerian IT industry. Dr. David-West earned her doctorate in Business Administration from Manchester Business School; an MSc in Business Systems Analysis and Design from City University, London; and a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Lagos.

 

 

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