Correlates of ICTS and employment in Sub-Saharan Africa

Safia Khan, Kezia Lilenstein, Morne Oosthuizen and Christopher Rooney ()
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Christopher Rooney: University of Cape Town

Working Papers from University of Cape Town, Development Policy Research Unit

Abstract: The potential for Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) to influence development have been widely documented, however the impact of ICTs on the employment prospects of those in SSA have been poorly recorded, with most studies focused on specific localised contexts. This paper models the impact of ICTs on the employment outcomes of individuals in 12 African countries, taking into account the varying nature of self-employment compared to other types of third party employment. The paper finds a correlation between mobile phone ownership, the intensity of mobile phone use, and employment in a selection of countries and contexts. Internet use in 2012 is largely unrelated to the employment outcome in these countries. The impact of ICT use differs by geolocation, sex and age. Older people, most likely with more established prior networks, are more likely to have ICTs impact their employment outcome. ICTs are more likely to influence the employment outcome of males, and those in urban areas.

Keywords: ICTs; Mobile Phones; Intensity of Mobile Use; Internet; Employment; Self Employment; Rural; Urban (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J64 N77 O3 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 43 pages
Date: 2017-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ict, nep-knm and nep-pay
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Published in Working Paper Series by the Development Policy Research Unit, March 2017, pages 1-43

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