Regulating the future: Governance and transnational policy responses to metaverse marketing – a challenge for African emerging economies

This study employs a PRISMA-guided systematic literature review to examine governance and transnational policy responses to the rise of metaverse marketing, with particular attention to the challenges confronting African emerging economies. Using PRISMA’s structured process of identification, screening, eligibility and inclusion, peer-reviewed studies, policy documents and industry reports were systematically analysed to ensure transparency and reproducibility. The review highlights the transformative potential of immersive technologies in reshaping Africa’s marketing ecosystems while foregrounding the risks posed by their unregulated expansion. Findings reveal a dual trajectory with the metaverse promising economic growth, enhanced market access and the stimulation of local creativity, and raises serious concerns around consumer exploitation, digital dependency, data sovereignty erosion and cultural homogenization. Governance mapping highlights Africa’s uneven engagement in global digital policy-making, with limited influence in shaping international standards despite isolated areas of progress. The synthesis underscores the urgent need for African-led, transnationally informed policy frameworks that balance innovation with safeguards, which are vital to strengthening Africa’s negotiating position in emerging global standards. The study concludes that Africa must proactively regulate metaverse marketing through strategies that leverage local cultural values, enhance regulatory capacity and foster public–private partnerships.