Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025)

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Navigating Fragility: A Systematic Review of Social Commerce as a Resilience Strategy for Women Entrepreneurs in Burkina Faso

Fatimata Sawadogo, Official University of Bobo-Dioulasso Louise Glover, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, Joseph Ki-Zerbo University, Ouagadougou Tina Heath, International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE) Jean-Baptiste Kaboré, Department of Advanced Studies, Official University of Bobo-Dioulasso
Published: January 21, 2026

Abstract

This systematic literature review addresses a critical gap in knowledge concerning how women entrepreneurs in Burkina Faso leverage social commerce to build business resilience within a context of acute fragility and socio-economic disruption. It synthesises evidence on the digital strategies employed to sustain enterprises amidst ongoing crises. Adhering to the PRISMA framework, the methodology involved a rigorous search and screening of peer-reviewed articles, conference proceedings, and grey literature from key academic databases and relevant development organisation publications. The search was conducted for literature published between 2015 and 2024, a period marking the rise of social commerce and escalating fragility in the Sahel. The analysis reveals that, for many Burkinabè women, social commerce—primarily via WhatsApp and Facebook—has evolved beyond a mere sales channel into a vital tool for risk mitigation, supply chain adaptation, and maintaining trusted customer networks during periods of physical insecurity and market instability. Key findings underscore the dual role of these platforms in providing both economic lifelines and psychosocial support through digital community building. The review argues that this adaptive use of accessible digital tools represents a significant, indigenous form of entrepreneurial resilience, challenging deficit-based narratives of women in fragile contexts. Its significance lies in contributing robust, contextualised evidence to African-centric debates on gender, digital entrepreneurship, and crisis response, offering direct implications for policymakers and practitioners aiming to design effective, technology-enabled support programmes.

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Fatimata Sawadogo, Louise Glover, Tina Heath, Jean-Baptiste Kaboré (2026). Navigating Fragility: A Systematic Review of Social Commerce as a Resilience Strategy for Women Entrepreneurs in Burkina Faso. African Journal of Women in Leadership and Governance, Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025), 28-40.
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Keywords

Women entrepreneursSahelSocial commerceBusiness resilienceFragile contextsDigital entrepreneurshipSystematic literature review

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Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025)
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