Implementing a robust, cost effective, e-commerce platform for a disadvantaged community of the Eastern Cape, South Africa

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dc.contributor.advisorTerzoli, Aen
dc.contributor.authorNjeje, Sicelo Givenen
dc.date.accessioned2026-08-13T00:07:22Z
dc.date.available2026-08-13T00:07:22Z
dc.date.issued2008en
dc.description.abstractThe development of electronic commerce (e-commerce) is the most visible business use of the World Wide Web. The primary goal of an e-commerce site is to sell goods and services online. This project deals with developing an e-commerce platform for marginalized communities of the Eastern Cape region, South Africa. An online “shopping mall” to support the marketing of art and crafts from disadvantaged communities is presented, with Linux-Apache-MySQL-PHP (LAMP) as the development environment. Free and Open Source Software has been chosen to develop the virtual shopping mall system because the use of Open Source allows easy localization and extensions to the system developed and long term sustainability, as the source code is available. Also, it might start a “virtuous” circle, whereby young members of the communities hosting art and craft makers become involved in maintenance, and then production, of software systems. One important design constraint from the e-commerce platform presented in this thesis is the possibility for the art and craft makers to manage their shops directly, from the initial loading of their wares to the day-to-day maintenance, such as changes of price or items. The user requirement elicitation and initial field testing were conducted in Dwesa, an area on the wild coast, South Africa. The system currently comprising two shops is live at the time of writing this thesis at www.dwesa.com.en
dc.format123 leaves; 30 cmen
dc.formatpdfen
dc.identifier.citationNjeje, Sicelo Given. 2008en
dc.identifier.othervital:11373en
dc.identifier.otherhttp://hdl.handle.net/10353/75en
dc.identifier.otherComputer network architectures -- South Africa -- Design and constructionen
dc.identifier.otherRural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Capeen
dc.identifier.otherInternet marketingen
dc.identifier.otherBusiness enterprises -- Computer networksen
dc.identifier.otherElectronic commerceen
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11837/4606
dc.language.isoEnglishen
dc.publisherUniversity of Fort Hareen
dc.publisherFaculty of Science & Agricultureen
dc.rightsUniversity of Fort Hareen
dc.subjectComputer network architectures -- South Africa -- Design and constructionen
dc.subjectRural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Capeen
dc.subjectInternet marketingen
dc.subjectBusiness enterprises -- Computer networksen
dc.subjectElectronic commerceen
dc.titleImplementing a robust, cost effective, e-commerce platform for a disadvantaged community of the Eastern Cape, South Africaen
dc.title.alternativeImplementing a robust, cost effective, e-commerce platform for a disadvantaged community of the Eastern Cape, South Africaen
dc.typeThesisen
dc.typeMastersen
dc.typeMSc (Computer Science)en

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