Enhancing Rural Marketing Practices in Africa Through AI Supported Education

Abstract

The role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in supporting rural based marketing practices has never been fully appreciated, yet AI is increasingly becoming important in organizations and continues to shape how organizations operate, especially in Africa. The influence of AI will definitely continue to significantly shape the way organizations operate during the 21st century and beyond. Rural based marketing contributes significantly towards socio economic development in Africa, particularly in the areas of agricultural growth, employment, and improved livelihoods. The changing dynamics in the rural marketing coupled with the movement of people from the rural to urban areas poses a major challenge as the urban areas become overcrowded with high unemployment and increased crime rates. It is projected that by the year 2050, 65% of Africa’s population will live in the urban areas This scenario posing a major challenge of feeding the urban population that will be depending on food supplies from rural area. Adoption of AI in Africa remains low, particularly in the rural areas, yet this is where most of the agricultural activities employing 60-70% of labour force, and accounting for 30 -40% of GDP is found. Using the social theory of change and Schumpeter’s theory of innovation, this study explores the role that Artificial Intelligence can play in supporting education to enhance rural marketing practices for transformative and sustainable development in Africa. The researchers adopted critical document review approach in their research. The study established that governments in developing countries are working hard to come up with relevant policies and legal frameworks to assist in the implementation of AI practices, but these have not been given sufficient recognition to rural marketing. The study further found that use of AI can be instrumental in enhancing teaching and learning, automating administrative tasks, and promoting personalized learning experiences in promoting agricultural marketing. Finally, the study revealed that while Kenya through the Ministry of education has been working with tech organizations to build teacher capacity in using AI effectively in schools, this is yet to have a significant impact especially on part of rural marketing practices. Rural areas continue to experience major challenges including poor infrastructure, lack of electricity and high levels of illiteracy.