Use of mobile phones among agro-pastoralist communities in Tanzania

Abstract

The study examined the usage of mobile phones among agro-pastoralists in Monduli and Bagamoyo districts in Tanzania. The study used a mixed approach in collecting and analysing the resultant data. The study’s findings reveal that individual and technology characteristics are important factors for mobile phone ownership and usage among agro-pastoralists. Further, the findings suggest that effective use of mobile phones presents a huge opportunity for improving information access for agro-pastoralist communities, so supporting their poverty reduction programs. Accordingly, usage of mobile phone technologies can offset some of the effects of neglected rural infrastructure and make rural development sustainable and competitive. The study concludes that there is an urgent need to re-think and re-orient the development thrust and deploy mobile phones to address business transaction and information access problems and supplement development-related information provided by other media.