Rural farmers’ perceptions of the adoption of internet-enabled computer in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Abstract

Unstructured interviews were used to examine the perceptions of farmers about internet-enabled computers using the five main attributes of innovation as an analytic lens. Findings show that internet-enabled computers have relative advantages over other means of obtaining information but rural farmers experience challenges with accessibility. The farmers’ sources of agricultural information are incompatible with their needs, suggesting the need for internet-enabled computers. However, the inability to use internet-enabled computers by the participants was cited as a disadvantage. The findings about trialability show that most of the agricultural information obtained through internet-enabled computers did not work when applied to the local context. Positive perceptions by rural farmers about the observability of the effects of the internet-enabled computers for agricultural information were apparent. The findings reflect opportunities and challenges about adoption of internet-enabled computers by poor rural farmers. Based on the analysed data further studies are suggested.