Mobile technology for development’ experiences from Zimbabwe vending markets a naturalistic enquiry

Abstract

This paper is part of the ongoing doctoral research on Mobile technologies and sustainable development of smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe. This was motivated by the realisation that in Zimbabwe the traditional formal market for agriculture products are no longer available due to the collapse of the economy and vendors have naturally filled the gap in the agricultural value chain as they are providing smallholder farmers with a valuable market for their products. The Kombayi and Kudzanai vending markets (musika) in Gweru Zimbabwe have turned out to be entangled in the contemporary discourses that sanction mobile supported vending business practises. In this setting, vendors, farmers and the general customers together are encouraged to adopt and use and information and communication technology (ICT) particularly mobile technologies in their business value chain. These discourses are entrenched in the interpretivism philosophy of ICT for development (ICT4D). In this regard this research hinges on the way the researchers interacted with the subjects which led to the generation of new concepts about how mobile technologies are supporting their social and economic development processes. After conducting a one month’s long exploratory research at these two (2) markets in Gweru for the period 1 to 30 April 2016, this paper explores the mobile phone use experience in these vending markets particularly the experiences as voiced by the vendors.