86% Firms in Ghana Have Digital Access, Yet Only a Quarter Use It for Business Functions – Report

Many Ghanaian workplaces may be abounding with smartphones, computers, tablets, and other digital devices with internet access, yet few are being utilized for business functions, a World Bank report has indicated.

The latest World Bank 2025 October Africa Pulse report reveals a curious irony. Ghana is among six countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with 86 percent of firms having at least five workers who have access to digital devices like mobile phones, computers, and internet services, yet only about a quarter actually use them meaningfully for business.

This simply means that most companies have the tools for digital transformation, but are not using them to their full potential. Many still rely on manual bookkeeping, face-to-face transactions, and paper records, even when faster, cheaper, and smarter digital options are available.

This ironic situation is coming at a time when Ghana and other Sub-Saharan African countries are touting digitalization to keep up with the fast-growing digital world.

In today’s world, where technology drives productivity and efficiency, Ghanaian firms that fail to go digital risk being left behind. They are at risk of losing out on faster customer service, easier market access, and valuable data insights that could help them grow.

“Adoption and use rates at the firm level are also relatively low. Data from nationally representative surveys in six countries (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, and Senegal) show that although 86 percent of firms with at least five workers have access to one or more digital enablers (mobile phone, computer, and internet), only a quarter use these technologies intensively for business functions,” the report cited by The High Street Journal indicated.

The report further paints a broader picture of the region’s digital agenda, which is facing obstacles. Although more than 80 percent of people in Sub-Saharan Africa live in areas with 3G coverage, only a quarter of the population actually uses the internet, and just 20 percent of adults use it daily.

While the digital infrastructure is expanding, the skills, confidence, and motivation to use it for business remain weak. Many small and medium enterprises lack digital literacy, fear online fraud, or simply see technology as a luxury rather than a necessity.

This has implications as it slows down innovation, limits competitiveness, and keeps local businesses from reaching new customers, both locally and abroad.

In contrast, companies in other developing regions are embracing e-commerce, digital payments, and online marketing to expand faster and operate more efficiently.

For the World Bank, Ghanaian firms and their counterparts in other African countries don’t need gadgets; they need to start using them smarter profitably. It adds that digital transformation is no longer an option; it’s a survival strategy in today’s fast-changing global economy.

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