ICT pathways to poverty reduction : empirical evidence from East and Southern Africa

Abstract

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) promote economic growth, but do we know that ICTs reduce poverty? In the African context, of the different ICTs, mobile phones and radio contribute much more to improvement in people’s social and economic livelihoods than internet and fixed-line telephones. The overall objective of the book is to provide credible evidence on the impact of ICTs on growth and poverty reduction in Africa, and to influence more effective policy making. Most chapters are drawn from the Poverty and Information and Communications Technology in Urban and Rural Eastern Africa (PICTURE Africa) research project.