Digital services have the potential to improve rural entrepreneurs' access to wider markets and increase their competitiveness among other benefits. Moreover, during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic in which movement and physical contacts have been limited, businesses relied much on digital services. However, many Namibian rural entrepreneurs have not been able to use digital services to maintain their livelihood. Therefore, this study investigated the factors affecting the adoption of ICT enabled services by rural entrepreneurs. The study applied a cross-sectional survey of 77 respondents comprising 14 rural entrepreneurs and 63 rural community members from four sites. It was found that the five main factors affecting the adoption of digital services by rural entrepreneurs are a lack of awareness of digital services, electricity, skills to navigate smart devices, high cost of both devices and mobile internet and cybercrime. We recommend a tailor-made training program for rural entrepreneurs which includes raising awareness of digital services and associated benefits, capacity building on digital skills and best practice for cybersecurity. In addition, we propose that the Namibian Government should enhance digital inclusion through a policy initiative to reduce the cost to make both data and smart devices affordable for the poor and rural communities.
翻译:数字服务有可能改善农村企业家进入更广泛市场的机会,提高他们的竞争力,此外,在目前Covid-19大流行期间,企业的移动和有形接触受到限制,企业在很大程度上依赖数字服务,然而,许多纳米比亚农村企业家未能利用数字服务维持生计,因此,这项研究调查了影响农村企业家采用信通技术服务的因素,对77名答复者进行了跨部门调查,其中包括来自四个地点的14名农村企业家和63名农村社区成员,发现影响农村企业家采用数字服务的五个主要因素是缺乏对数字服务、电力、智能设备导航技能、设备成本高以及移动互联网和网络犯罪的认识。我们建议为农村企业家制定量身定制的培训方案,其中包括提高对数字服务和相关惠益的认识、建立数字技能的能力和网络安全最佳做法。此外,我们提议纳米比亚政府应通过一项政策举措,降低使穷人和农村社区能够负担得起数据和智能设备的费用,从而增强数字包容性。