USSDs vs Apps: understanding the adoption and continuous use of mobile applications in Botswana

Abstract

Mobile applications are not only crucial for service delivery, but they also offer users convenience in completing everyday tasks. Consequently, mobile application development in Botswana has risen significantly in the last few years. However, their adoption and use remain low despite their prevalence and usefulness. Currently, there is no research evidence on why Botswana-developed mobile apps have a low adoption rate or what factors inhibit users from using such applications. To address this gap, we present the findings of a case study (n=79 users) exploring the adoption and use of the Mascom mobile app. Our findings highlight performance and usability as the main impediments to adopting and using mobile applications in Botswana. We also found that the need for the internet to use the app, lack of practical usefulness, and low social influence around the use of the app discourage users from downloading and using the app. Based on these findings, we provide design recommendations for entities (i.e., developers and companies) interested in developing a mobile application for the Botswana market. For example, developers should review the functionality of their application and identify features that are most useful to users. Lastly, our study provides building blocks for developers and designers hoping to build mobile applications for Batswana users.