Structural Constraints and Realized Digital Use: Evidence from Ziguinchor, Senegal

Abstract

This study examines patterns of digital inclusion in Ziguinchor, Senegal, using household survey data combined with spatial indicators of infrastructure and access. We construct a Digital Inclusion Index (DII) capturing realized digital practices and a Composite Digital Access Score (CDAS) reflecting enabling conditions across six domains, including technological equipment, electricity, affordability, and spatial access. The results reveal substantial variation in digital inclusion across quartiers, with strong associations between inclusion outcomes and infrastructural and socioeconomic conditions, particularly electricity reliability, device quality, and mobility constraints. A key finding is the coexistence of near-universal smartphone ownership with relatively low levels of internet use, indicating a pronounced gap between access and effective engagement. This divergence suggests that device ownership alone is insufficient to ensure meaningful digital participation. A typology combining DII and CDAS further highlights mismatches between realized use and enabling conditions, identifying groups of “under-utilizers” and “over-achievers.” The findings are consistent with multidimensional digital divide frameworks and point to the importance of both structural conditions and user capabilities. Given the cross-sectional design, results should be interpreted as conditional associations rather than causal effects. The study contributes a place-based analytical framework for diagnosing digital inclusion gaps in secondary cities and provides evidence to inform targeted, context-specific policy interventions.