The role of digital platforms in supporting women during the critical nascent stages of venture creation: evidence from Zanzibar

Azida Jabir Hamza; Hawa P. Tundui; Mushumbusi P. Kato

doi:10.51867/ajernet.7.4.135

Authors

Azida Jabir Hamza Mzumbe University, Tanzania
Hawa P. Tundui Mzumbe University, Dar es Salaam https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1987-4192
Mushumbusi P. Kato Mzumbe University, Dar es Salaam https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5671-2192

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51867/ajernet.7.4.135

Keywords:

Digital Platforms, Digital Entrepreneurship, Nascent Ventures Creation, Women Entrepreneurship, Zanzibar Emerging Economy

Abstract

The emergence and advancement of digital technologies have changed entrepreneurial processes through offering opportunities in the processes of business creation, market entry, and customer interactions. This study assessed the significance of activities relating to digital platforms in the process of opportunity recognition by women nascent entrepreneurs in Zanzibar. Specifically, the study sought to determine the impact of online customer interaction, online networking, and digital marketing on opportunity recognition. Guided by the theory of digital entrepreneurship and social capital theory, the study embraced positivism research philosophy with a quantitative cross-sectional survey design. A total of 260 women nascent entrepreneurs were interviewed using a structured questionnaire while data analysis was performed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 4. The results show that online customer interaction (β = 0.342, p < 0.001), online networking (β = 0.318, p < 0.001), and digital marketing (β = 0.287, p < 0.001) positively and significantly affect opportunity recognition. Of all the predictor variables, online customer interaction is the most powerful determinant of opportunity recognition. The model accounts for 66.2% of variance in opportunity recognition (R² = 0.662). The study concludes that digital platforms serve as important entrepreneurial resources that facilitate access to market information, customer insights, and business networks, thereby enhancing opportunity recognition among women entrepreneurs. The study recommends strengthening digital entrepreneurship training, improving digital infrastructure, and promoting online networking initiatives to enhance women's entrepreneurial participation and economic empowerment in Zanzibar.

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