Mobile technology for street trading in Tanzania: A design science research approach for determining user requirements

Abstract

Street trading is an economic activity that is conducted by street traders in numerous urban parts of Tanzania. Street traders use mobile technology to search for markets.This study mapped the wants and needs of Tanzanian street traders and their customers in order to better understand the potential and pitfalls of technology to help their trade activities. Qualitative data were collected using in-depth interviews with 22 street traders and 22 customers. In addition, two focus group discussions with 20 participants, including street traders and customers, were conducted. Data were analyzed through content analysis. The results identified a number of technology wants and needs shared by traders and customers that would ease the customers' access to products they want, and support the traders to promote their products, locate where the users are, support business growth, and predict sales potential. This research study contributes to understanding the technology needs of one marginalized group in Tanzania. The study facilitates discussion on the suitability of design research in the context of informal worker communities, and it points toward a path for design research of information systems that are grounded on the needs and knowledge of end-users in their communities and contexts of use.

Factors influencing mobile phone usage awareness for accessing agricultural marketing information by grape smallholder farmers in Dodoma, Tanzania

“…Moreover, on the contrary, studies (Mlay, 2021; Kulwijila, 2021; Kalimangasi et al , 2021; Nzowa, 2020) on grape farming focused on marketing challenges, postharvest losses, input demand responses and factors affecting marketing performance. In addition, the few studies (Ndauka and Matotola, 2023; Rumanyika et al , 2019) related to production technology and mobile phone technologies for grape smallholder farmers and street traders revealed theoretical and methodological gaps. These studies reported their findings based on the framework of technical efficiency and mobile phone usage while using mixed or qualitative methods to a samples size less than 200 respondents.…”

More than what meets the eye : factors and processes that shape the design and use of digital agricultural advisory and decision support in Africa

“…Frogdesign, 2012;GSMA & Frogdesign, n.d.;IDEO.org, 2015;University, 2018). The popularization of these approaches fits with the call to develop products that are grounded in the needs and knowledge of end-users in their communities and use context (Rumanyika, Apiola, Mramba, Oyelere, & Tedre, 2021), and design thinking is increasingly promoted as 'good practice' in the international community through aforementioned toolkits, as well as principles like the Principles for Digital Development (Digital Impact Alliance, n.d.) and scientists and practitioners reporting on their experiences with participatory design approaches 11 .…”