Digital Platform Cooperatives in African Contexts

Digital platform cooperatives as member-owned enterprises, hold the promise of advancing a sharing economy that can socio-economically uplift people at grassroots level as an aspect of sustainability entrepreneurship. However, among other challenges, they often face competitive disadvantages of having to operate in digital markets occupied by big tech firms whilst they have limit access to financial resources. Yet platform cooperatives are renowned to have innovative potential. This chapter reviews the challenges and opportunities faced by platform cooperatives on the modern digital era. The chapter will also reflect on lessons attained thus far and prospects, including drawing from case studies, that these entities can exploit to create a vibrant shared sustainable economy while still being economically resilient, in developing country Global South contexts particularly in African environments.