E-Commerce Adoption and Its Effect on Revenue Growth Among Women-Owned Micro-Enterprises: A Multi-Regional Study in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Women-owned micro-enterprises represent a significant segment of the informal and semi-formal commercial landscape in Sub-Saharan Africa, yet they remain disproportionately excluded from the growth opportunities afforded by digital commerce. This study investigates the extent to which e-commerce adoption influences revenue growth, market reach, and business sustainability among women-owned micro-enterprises in Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed, combining quantitative survey data from 518 women entrepreneurs with qualitative data from 30 focused group discussions. Multiple regression analysis, propensity score matching, and cross-case thematic analysis were deployed to analyze the data. Results indicate that e-commerce adoption is associated with a statistically significant increase in monthly revenue (mean difference = 34.7%, p < 0.001) and an expanded customer base extending beyond local geographic boundaries. Social capital, smartphone ownership, and access to reliable logistics services emerged as significant enabling conditions. Barriers including platform transaction fees, internet affordability, and gender-specific social norms were found to attenuate adoption benefits. The study contributes empirical evidence at the intersection of gender, digital commerce, and enterprise development, with implications for inclusive economic policy in the African Continental Free Trade Area context.