Development of an Interactive Real-Time Negotiation Module for an E-commerce Platform

With developments in the Internet and Web-based technologies, distinctions between traditional markets and the global electronic marketplace-such as business capital size, are gradually being narrowed down. It is recognized that in the Information Age, e-Commerce is a powerful tool for economic growth of developing countries. While there are indications of e-Commerce patronage among large firms in developing countries, there seems to be little and negligible use of the Internet for commerce among small and medium sized firms. However, many of these e-Commerce projects in marginalized areas fail as a result of lack of the required resources to support ICTs. Different ways have been suggested for marketing products online and to create customer loyalty. This paper discusses a marketing and customer loyalty strategy through a real-time interactive negotiation application, aimed at improving the existing e-Commerce platform. The e-Commerce platform has been deployed as part of the Siyakhula Living Lab ICTD project which is undertaken for the Dwesa community in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.