Factors influencing the adoption of m-commerce platforms by individuals in South African townships

Abstract

Since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in 2020, there has been an increase in the adoption of e- commerce (electronic commerce) from which m-commerce (mobile commerce) was born. M- commerce is the use of a mobile phone to purchase goods and services. M-commerce is flexible because it is easily accessible and convenient. In addition, the rise of smartphones and internet availability has also contributed to the increase in m-commerce.

The South African digital economy has developed drastically over the past years due to infrastructure development, including internet connectivity. The majority of the South African population resides in townships and rural areas and contributes significantly to the economy. Internet accessibility advancement in townships has led to more consumers purchasing goods and services online in the comfort of their homes.

The study researched m-commerce adoption in South African townships by determining the factors that affect m-commerce adoption in South African townships. The study only focused on two townships in Johannesburg: Soweto and Tembisa. A conceptual research model based on the following factors from the UTAUT2 technology model: performance expectancy, hedonic motivation, and facilitating conditions, with social media and trust as two additional constructs. A digital online survey was used to collect respondents’ data was analysed quantitatively using SPSS.

The findings of the study are discussed in detail, including testing the hypotheses formulated. Firstly, the results indicated that social media and perceived security have a significant, positive effect on the trust of South African township residents to adopt m-commerce platforms. Secondly, performance expectancy, hedonic motivation, trust, and facilitating conditions positively affect the intention of South African township residents to adopt m-commerce; however, trust and facilitating conditions were insignificant.