The Reality of Digital Platforms and Financial Services in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract:
This study aims to identify the digital platforms' performance levels and their relationship to financial services in sub-Saharan Africa. The study provides an overview of digital platforms, the nature of their activities, the region of their origin and the economic sectors which they are contributing to. Eight countries in Sub-Saharan Africa were selected as a sample, namely; Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
   The study found that African digital platforms appear to be, generally, well positioned to deliver trusted brands in the financial services industry with a wide range of payment and data solutions to design and deliver financial services to their clients. South Africa and Ghana topped the group in the performance of digital platforms and their relationship with financial institutions, due to the progress of the financial system in the two countries and the spread of alternatives to payment methods that dispense with cash payment. As for Nigeria, the method of payment by wallet is widespread, which may rely on cryptocurrencies and global PayPal services. Meanwhile, in East African countries, Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda, mobile payments are popular as a preferred tool for service providers and consumers alike. It is likely that digital platforms in these countries operate in the agricultural field more.
   The study also shed light on the interrelated relationships between the platform economy, the financial sector and comprehensive economic participation. It concluded that in sub-Saharan African countries, the increasing digitization programs have supported the emergence of new platforms linking providers of goods and services and consumers. Our finding shows that there are six electronic payment methods on which the platforms depend; To enable transactions, these tools vary by geographic region. The study also included financial services distributed by digital platforms and partnerships with financial service providers that make their tasks easy and possible.