The investigation of the impact of mobile technology “m-commerce” on the business success of African wax-prints: a case of Enugu, Nigeria.

Abstract

African wax-print is a traditional attire worn in most parts of Africa, and has been around for over a century. It has been noted that most of the products are imported rather than locally produced. This has made them more expensive. The use of technological strategies has been exploited outside African continent to harness the business potential of African wax-prints and its social implication particularly in an African setup. This study explored the implications of m-commerce on the business success of African wax-prints. This investigation dwelled into technological modernization, consumer demands and network chains, and how these factors influence the business success of African wax-print. A quantitative survey of sample size of 384 randomly selected respondents was conducted. Respondents were individuals who have a minimum of two years’ experience on the trade of African wax-prints. Questionnaires were administered to the respondents in Enugu-North, Nigeria. Only 336 respondents, accounting for 87.5% responded to the questionnaire. Data obtained was analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). The statistical analysis illustrated a number of significant relationships between the biographical data and various statements in the questionnaire. The results revealed that technological modernization, consumer demands and network chains positively influence the business success of African wax-print. The study further revealed that m commerce positively impacts the growth of business of African wax-prints in Enugu-North, Nigeria. A quest for stakeholders, both individuals and organizations, can collaborate to create a friendly mobile platform that enhances the consumer experience and the ease of promoting the business success of African wax-print. Furthermore, future studies can be conducted in other regional parts of Nigeria on African-wax prints. Future research can also consider researching other aspects of m-commerce such as m-logistics to improve the retailers experience in Enugu North, of Nigeria and other parts of Africa at large.