Consequently the access side of the business has started to level out, he says. In Mozambique, considered the least developed of the SADC countries, there are now five or six active ISPs and more people online than in many other African countries, estimates Jeanne Stephens, head of consulting firm Austral Consultoria. Bank Standard Tota de Mozambique is now offering Internet banking, and e-commerce is starting to put down roots. While Stephens admits that most initiatives are aimed at boosting exports rather than domestic commerce, there are local companies, like Moyo-Moyo, which are developing sites to sell their products online to local consumers. When you have telephone penetration of less than 1 line per 100 inhabitants it takes quite some time before you get substantial e-commerce Transnational activity is the driving force behind the fast growth of Internet usage in Namibia.
Overseas companies play a dominant role in the economy, especially in the key mining sector.
Telecom Namibia has set up digital nodes throughout the country and it is relatively easy for the Web to be accessed countrywide. Geographical isolation, he says, increases the Internet s usefulness. So far, though, most Namibian e-commerce has had to be done through the South Africa banking system, by logging on to its sites. In fact, throughout southern Africa most Internet usage is still primarily for communication purposes. He notes, though, that there is increasing usage of the Net for browsing and establishing business contacts.