Drivers to Promote the Adoption of Green Information Communication Technology in South African SMEs

Despite the numerous benefits of green information and communication technology (GICT), the adoption rate among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa remains low. Limited financial resources, lack of awareness, inadequate technical skills and insufficient government support hinder eff...

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Main Authors: Elizma Bok, Alet Tolmay
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Research and Postgraduate Support Directorate 2025-08-01
Series:African Journal of Inter-Multidisciplinary Studies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.uct.ac.za/new_dut/index.php/ajims/article/view/1582
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author Elizma Bok
Alet Tolmay
author_facet Elizma Bok
Alet Tolmay
author_sort Elizma Bok
collection DOAJ
description Despite the numerous benefits of green information and communication technology (GICT), the adoption rate among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa remains low. Limited financial resources, lack of awareness, inadequate technical skills and insufficient government support hinder effective implementation and integration of GICT. The objective is to identify the most prominent drivers for enhancing the adoption of GICT after which recommendations can be made. By understanding these drivers, SMEs can be encouraged to adopt GICT practices to benefit from them. The identified drivers, drawn from existing literature, were incorporated into a measurement tool. Data was gathered through an electronic survey using a self-administered questionnaire. The respondents’ perceptions regarding the drivers of GICT adoption were examined. An exploratory factor analysis revealed that the most prominent drivers for enhancing GICT adoption are eco-friendliness, environmental conditions, cost, and competitive advantage. It is recommended that SMEs adopt a proactive approach to integrating GICT initiatives into their business strategies. By fostering collaborations with other businesses, industry stakeholders, and policymakers, SMEs can lead the way in establishing robust environmental certification practices. The study concludes that these types of partnerships will not only enhance sustainability efforts but also position SMEs as leaders in the transition to greener, more efficient operations.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2663-4597
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series African Journal of Inter-Multidisciplinary Studies
spelling doaj-art-ab5d35d0806140b1b5b8d7e67344290f2025-08-24T22:13:27ZengResearch and Postgraduate Support DirectorateAfrican Journal of Inter-Multidisciplinary Studies2663-45972663-45892025-08-017110.51415/ajims.v7i1.1582Drivers to Promote the Adoption of Green Information Communication Technology in South African SMEsElizma Bok0Alet Tolmay1University of South Africa, South AfricaUniversity of South Africa, South Africa Despite the numerous benefits of green information and communication technology (GICT), the adoption rate among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa remains low. Limited financial resources, lack of awareness, inadequate technical skills and insufficient government support hinder effective implementation and integration of GICT. The objective is to identify the most prominent drivers for enhancing the adoption of GICT after which recommendations can be made. By understanding these drivers, SMEs can be encouraged to adopt GICT practices to benefit from them. The identified drivers, drawn from existing literature, were incorporated into a measurement tool. Data was gathered through an electronic survey using a self-administered questionnaire. The respondents’ perceptions regarding the drivers of GICT adoption were examined. An exploratory factor analysis revealed that the most prominent drivers for enhancing GICT adoption are eco-friendliness, environmental conditions, cost, and competitive advantage. It is recommended that SMEs adopt a proactive approach to integrating GICT initiatives into their business strategies. By fostering collaborations with other businesses, industry stakeholders, and policymakers, SMEs can lead the way in establishing robust environmental certification practices. The study concludes that these types of partnerships will not only enhance sustainability efforts but also position SMEs as leaders in the transition to greener, more efficient operations. https://journals.uct.ac.za/new_dut/index.php/ajims/article/view/1582green information and communication technologydriversSMEseco-friendly consciousnessenvironmental conditions
spellingShingle Elizma Bok
Alet Tolmay
Drivers to Promote the Adoption of Green Information Communication Technology in South African SMEs
African Journal of Inter-Multidisciplinary Studies
green information and communication technology
drivers
SMEs
eco-friendly consciousness
environmental conditions
title Drivers to Promote the Adoption of Green Information Communication Technology in South African SMEs
title_full Drivers to Promote the Adoption of Green Information Communication Technology in South African SMEs
title_fullStr Drivers to Promote the Adoption of Green Information Communication Technology in South African SMEs
title_full_unstemmed Drivers to Promote the Adoption of Green Information Communication Technology in South African SMEs
title_short Drivers to Promote the Adoption of Green Information Communication Technology in South African SMEs
title_sort drivers to promote the adoption of green information communication technology in south african smes
topic green information and communication technology
drivers
SMEs
eco-friendly consciousness
environmental conditions
url https://journals.uct.ac.za/new_dut/index.php/ajims/article/view/1582
work_keys_str_mv AT elizmabok driverstopromotetheadoptionofgreeninformationcommunicationtechnologyinsouthafricansmes
AT alettolmay driverstopromotetheadoptionofgreeninformationcommunicationtechnologyinsouthafricansmes