Platform Economy Research in Africa

This chapter undertakes a systematic review of research publications as of July 2019 on the platform economy in the African context. The focus is to identify the dominant themes, frameworks, and methodological approaches used in those research works. The review also identified gaps from such studies for future research. Based on the selection criteria for inclusion, the chapter identified 16 relevant publications. The review reveals that a significant number of published studies are on South Africa. Also, most of the studies are without a theoretical framework and mostly qualitative, with few featuring quantitative and mixed methodologies. Considering the nascent nature of research on the platform economy, the findings of this chapter contribute to painting the landscape of this research area, especially in Africa, and provides stimulating insights for future research.