Anahtar Kelimeler
digital formalization
leapfrogging 2.0
mobile money
AI logistics
Nasıl Atıf Yapılır
Özet
Africa's $700 billion informal economy represents a fundamental developmental paradox: it serves as the principal socioeconomic buffer for the continent's workers while functioning under severe institutional restrictions. Despite their invaluable contributions, millions of micro-entrepreneurs are trapped in low-productivity cycles due to widespread fragmentation, systematic exclusion from formal finance and governance, and significant institutional trust deficiencies. This study thoroughly examines the transformative process of Leapfrogging 2.0, which goes well beyond the transactional inclusion attained by pioneering mobile money. Leapfrogging 2.0 takes advantage of mobile money's widespread use as a gateway to an integrated digital ecosystem, combining AI-driven logistics optimization—such as demand forecasting for market vendors and route optimization that demonstrably reduces transport costs—with blockchain technology, which enforces transparency and automates trust via smart contracts within opaque value chains. Using a thorough mixed-methods analysis, the paper reveals how this integrated technology stack supports measurable formalization by addressing major institutional holes, resulting in quantifiable cost savings, increased traceability, and improved access to formal services. Key insights indicate its ability to go beyond payments by integrating production, distribution, and trust processes to combat informality's self-reinforcing pitfalls. The study results in a workable policy roadmap that prioritizes adaptable regulatory frameworks, targeted infrastructure investment, and inclusive digital literacy. Finally, this study proposes an innovative, contextually based approach for transforming Africa's immense informal potential into a sustainable engine of resilient, inclusive, and equitable growth through digital institutional innovation.
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Telif Hakkı (c) 2025 Simon Suwanzy Dzreke, Semefa Elikplim Dzreke