A Systematic Literature Review on the Role of Digital Technology in Youth Economic Participation in Sub-Saharan Africa

Vollständiger Abstract

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This study presents a systematic literature review on the role of digital technology in youth economic participation in sub-Saharan Africa. Guided by the PRISMA 2020 protocol, 111 records were screened, yielding 11 studies published between 2000 and 2026. The articles were extracted from Google Scholar, Dimensions, and Scopus databases. The quality of articles was assessed using the Modified Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Evidence was synthesized using narrative and thematic analysis, Excel, and NVivo software. Findings indicate that mobile platforms, fintech systems, e-commerce applications, digital agribusiness tools, and gig economy platforms were the most influential technologies supporting youth employment, entrepreneurship, and income diversification. However, their effects are uneven and context dependent. Youth increasingly rely on the informal digital economy through freelancing, social media commerce, mobile money transactions, and platform-based micro-enterprises as survival strategies amid limited formal employment. The review further shows that outcomes depend on digital skills, access to education, innovation ecosystems, and affordable internet access. In contrast, weak infrastructure, high data costs, limited financing, and low digital literacy constrain participation and reinforce inequality. Fragmented policy implementation and weak institutional coordination further limit the protection of vulnerable youth and slow digital inclusion. Therefore, for digital technologies to generate meaningful livelihood opportunities, policies should prioritize enabling structural and institutional factors rather than technology alone.