Abstract:
The article explores and examines policy and practice in the digital economy in
the developing world. It analyses the policies put in place in the global and
regional context in relation to the digital economy, their viability and success,
while drawing lessons for Zimbabwe. The background to the subject under
discussion is the increased importance of the digital economy which rough
estimates place its value at around 5% of the global Gross Domestic Product
(GDP), contributing about 3% to global employment. The article is based on a
desktop study involving interrogation of literature and documents mined from
Google Scholar and other websites with news and/or information on policies, statutes and other related materials on the subject matter. For data analysis, the
study engaged mainly textual analysis. Key observations from the study were the
undeniable increase in the importance of digitalisation due to adverse effects of
the COVID-19 pandemic, among other factors; the need to formulate policies
that perpetuate the smooth running of the digital economy which will enable it to
be beneficial to all, as well as to hammer and fully implement the prevailing ones
and getting rid of all hindrances to the desired outcome. The study also noted that
there is limited knowledge on the digital economy in some developing countries,
like Zimbabwe, for instance. To establish and maximise the benefits of
digitalisation, the article recommends that there should be increased knowledge
on the issue at hand and, there should be policy instruments set up to spearhead
and speed up the whole digital economy process with high levels of transparency
and governance.
Description:
The purpose of the Oikos - The Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University Bulletin
of Ecology, Science Technology, Agriculture and Food Systems Review
and Advancement is to provide a forum for scientific and technological
solutions based on systems approach and thinking as the bedrock of
intervention.
