Digital Opportunities in African Businesses
Organized by the Private Sector Development Research Network
Hosted by the International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Moderated by Andrew Dabalen, Chief Economist, Africa, World Bank Group (WBG)
Friday, 28 February 2025 from 9-10am EST
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ABOUT THE SEMINAR
This seminar will present new research on the digitalization of African businesses, examining the uneven adoption and utilization of digital technologies across the continent. The research presented here leverages comprehensive datasets to analyze why African firms are not fully capitalizing on improvements in digital infrastructure, revealing that equipment, software, and internet connectivity costs are substantially higher in Africa compared to other regions. The presentation will explore patterns of technology adoption across and within African countries, analyzing the productivity gap associated with incomplete digitalization. It will conclude with actionable recommendations for private sector stakeholders, policymakers, and international institutions to reduce barriers to technology adoption and stimulate broader digital transformation of African businesses, with implications for regional economic development.
Complete publication available here.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Marcio Cruz
Principal Economist, Economic Policy and Market Research Department of the International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Marcio Cruz is a principal economist with the Economic Policy Research unit of the International Finance Corporation. Previously, he was a senior economist with the Finance, Competitiveness, and Innovation Global Practice of the World Bank. His research has focused on firm dynamics, technology adoption, entrepreneurship, international trade, and impact evaluation. He also worked in the Development Economics Vice Presidency, contributing to the World Bank’s flagship publications Global Economic Prospects and Global Monitoring Report. Before joining the World Bank, Cruz was a tenured professor in the Department of Economics at the Federal University of Parana in Brazil and an economist for the Secretary of Planning of the state of Parana. His research has been published in scholarly journals such as the Journal of International Economics, Small Business Economics, and World Development. He holds a PhD in international economics from the Graduate Institute in Geneva.
Details of Dr. Cruz work can be found here.
ABOUT THE MODERATOR
Andrew Dabalen
Chief Economist, Africa, World Bank Group (WBG)
Dr. Dabalen is the World Bank Group’s Africa Region Chief Economist since July 1, 2022. The Chief Economist is responsible for providing guidance on strategic priorities and the technical quality of economic analysis in the region, as well as for developing major regional economic studies, among other roles.
He has held various positions including Senior Economist in the World Bank’s Europe and Central Asia Region, Lead Economist and Practice Manager for Poverty and Equity in Africa and most recently, Practice Manager for Poverty and Equity in the South Asia Region. His research and scholarly publications focused on poverty and social impact analysis, inequality of opportunity, program evaluation, risk and vulnerability, labor markets, and conflict and welfare outcomes. He has co-authored regional reports on equality of opportunity for children in Africa, vulnerability and resilience in the Sahel, and poverty in a rising Africa.
A Kenyan national, Dr. Dabalen holds a master’s degree in International Development from University of California – Davis, and a PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics from University of California – Berkeley.
Details of Dr. Dabalen’s work can be found here.