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Abstract:
In Africa, entrepreneurs are often forced into starting complementary businesses far from their core expertise to supplement insufficient and underdeveloped infrastructure. Whilst in other parts of the world, starting multiple enterprises, a phenomenon called portfolio entrepreneurship, often occurs as a result of opportunity rather than necessity. Necessity-driven portfolio entrepreneurship (PE) is an emerging phenomenon in African context and increasingly seen in the agricultural sector. Using information communication technology (ICT), agricultural portfolio entrepreneurs are able to manage complex sets of businesses. However, there is often a lack of knowledge of the process through which agriculture based PE develops in the African context. This paper reviews the evidence for the link between agricultural service efficiency in PE and the likely impact of ICTs on the agricultural sector in Kenya, focusing on two case studies. It argues that ICTs play a major role in the enhancement of agricultural services with huge untapped potential for accelerated development in agricultural innovation systems for data collection and sharing through cloud computing, opportunities for public involvement in research and development, and new forms of knowledge brokering. This paper also illustrates how ICTs can contribute immensely to improved communications, can deepen decentralization, and can attract portfolio entrepreneurship in Africa. It concludes with a number of recommendations for government and other development agencies seeking to advance economic growth and unlock the potential of ICT for agribusiness.
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