## 4 Results and Discussion
### Limitations and Recommendations for Future Work  
This preliminary study on IoT adoption in the Central African sub-region provides valuable insights into the Silicon Mountain ecosystem. However, it is not without limitations. In this sub-section, we discuss some of the study's key limitations and propose areas for future research that could offer more comprehensive insights into the factors influencing IoT adoption in the Central African sub-region. This study is limited to the Silicon Mountain tech ecosystem, and the sample of 146 usable responses may not fully capture the broader diversity of stakeholders across the Central African region. Consequently, the findings may not be generalizable to all tech ecosystems within the region. Additionally, the high concentration of entry-level positions(67.8%) and the gender imbalance (64.4% male respondents) may have influenced the results, particularly with respect to gender representation and experience levels. In future research, we plan to extend this study to include a wider range of stakeholders across different tech ecosystems in the Central African region, ensuring a more balanced gender representation and a broader distribution of respondents across various experience levels, including mid-level and senior management roles. This will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities related to IoT adoption in the Central African region. Another limitation of the study is that it relies primarily on questionnaire responses, which may introduce certain biases, resulting from social desirability or limited depth in participants' understanding of complex topics like IoT technology. To address the limitations of self-reported data, we propose the adoption of a mixed-methods approach in future work. Combining quantitative survey data with qualitative methods (e.g., expert interviews, focus groups, or case studies) would allow for triangulation and a more comprehensive exploration of IoT adoption challenges. Additionally, we are developing a smart agriculture Proof of Concept (PoC) that focuses on determining the levels of key macronutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) in the soil. This PoC aims to provide farmers in the region with real-time information on soil fertility, enabling them to make informed decisions about crop selection to improve yields. This PoC will address key challenges identified in the study, including infrastructure limitations, regulatory barriers, and skills gaps by testing the feasibility of deploying IoT solutions in the region. These approaches will offer deeper insights into the complex issues that may have been overlooked or simplified in the survey responses. The study also found the high rating of poor internet connectivity (52.1%) and unreliable power supply (49.3%) as \"Not Serious\" by respondents to be usual. This is because these are common infrastructural challenges in sub-Saharan Africa that significantly impede IoT uptake in the region, as reported in earlier IoT adoption studies [15; 16]. Thus, it is important to note at this point that the \"Not Serious\" rating for poor internet connectivity and unreliable power supply reflects the perceptions of respondents who are part of the Silicon Mountain technology ecosystem, which benefits from relatively better infrastructure compared to other regions in Cameroon and Central Africa. As a result, these challenges may not have been perceived as immediate barriers for IoT adoption within this specific ecosystem. However, in the broader context of the Central African region, internet connectivity and power supply are indeed significant impediments, especially in more rural areas and less developed tech hubs. Thus, generalizing the findings of this study beyond the Silicon Mountain ecosystem may risk downplaying the severity of these issues. There is need for future research to focus on tech ecosystems within the Central African region where internet connectivity and power supply issues are more acute.