During the global lockdown of 2020, digital platforms became more popular, giving professionals who were previously shut out of the job market new ways to make money. These mobile-friendly platforms give people who want to start their own businesses access to a large and growing group of people who use the internet and social media.
There are already 5.3 billion internet users worldwide, with usage rising between 2021 and 2022 in places like South Africa and Nigeria.
As it stands, the internet is developing new means of employment and financial gain online. Digital platforms have given many young employees new employment and a path into the booming digital economy.
For instance, young African women can now work as professional drivers on ride-hailing services like Uber and Bolt. There are hardly many female drivers, especially in African markets. However, the digital economy is accessible to people of all genders, and major multinational companies are betting on it.
Young women in Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana like the digital flexibility these platforms give them both within and outside of working hours, according to a new survey by Caribou Digital. These tools also help female business owners run profitable online businesses while also taking care of their personal responsibilities.
African women are given the opportunity to own and manage rental properties because of online marketplaces like Airbnb. The largest e-commerce platform in Africa, Jumia, has given female entrepreneurs access to advanced business tools and help loans, introducing them to social commerce.
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African young women and platform livelihoods
One example of a woman using social media and digital platforms to create money is Sharon Tarit. Tarit created an Airbnb company after the epidemic forced her company to close its doors. She obtains rooms from landlords, furnishes them, and then leases them as furnished apartments.
Eldoret and Mombasa, two seaside cities in southeast Kenya that are popular with tourists, are home to properties owned by Tarit. In an interview with BBC Business Daily, Tarit said that she leases out homes to locals, tourists, and business travellers who stay for as little as two days or as long as one month.
“This rental business has generated a lot of revenue for me.” I started off renting one house and now manage seven rentals. “I’m making more money now than I was when I sold children’s clothes in a physical shop,” Tarit said.
Safety issues and gender stereotypes on digital platforms
Ayobami Lawal, a 34-year-old Nigerian woman, works as a cab driver for Uber and Bolt in Lagos, the busiest metropolitan area in all of Africa.
Lawal’s employment provides much-needed daily revenue, but it is not without difficulties. People who don’t think Lawal can handle the challenges of driving in Lagos use gender stereotypes against her. Beyond social prejudice, female Uber and Bolt drivers must also cope with safety issues.
Physical and sexual assault are more likely to happen to female drivers. These ladies sometimes have to take matters into their own hands in order to be safe. Because nighttime trip fees are typically higher, some of them avoid driving at night, which results in them earning less than their male counterparts.
These drivers must choose between their money and safety. Even though ride-hailing apps often advertise safety toolkits for drivers, drivers have complained that the functions rarely work the way they’re supposed to.
Grace Natabaalo, the report’s lead researcher, told the BBC that many of the women she interviewed had experienced inappropriate behaviour and sexual harassment.
“While governments encourage young women to take up this work, they need to recognize the other side—tthat there are dangers, and they should be taken seriously by the police and government departments,” she said.
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Digital platforms and gig work’s challenges
Entrepreneurial women who have been excluded from the digital economy for years are now becoming winners because of platformization. There aren’t many barriers to entry, but they could be a lot lower if more governments took advantage of the opportunities these platforms offer and help fund projects led by women.
Ajira Digital is a government-run program in Kenya that teaches young people how to find gig work online and how to get the hard and soft skills they need to succeed in the digital age.
Redesigning the gig economy’s infrastructure is necessary. There are also problems with sexual harassment and the way traditional work is divided between men and women.
Everyone benefits from a gender-inclusive digital revolution, including the platform, the women, and the state. Digital platforms grab users, markets, and talent. The women can increase their fortune and take care of their families as well as themselves.
In their interview with the BBC, the gig workers said they were interested in paying taxes to help the economy.