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Editorial: African Techies Likely to Conquer ‘Digital Colonialism’

Editorial: African Techies Likely to Conquer ‘Digital Colonialism’

The idea, or proper historical concept of colonialism as defined by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy is, “a practice of domination, which involves the subjugation of one people to another.”

Digital Colonialism, however, pertains to the modern tech world; software and the development of the Internet’s vast capabilities. In relation to Africa, tech development aid that comes from foreign corporations has been deemed by some as a threat — potentially something the continent should worry about.

In early October, AFKInsider attended a Thought Works Africa event in New York City, where founder Roy Singham gave a presentation about digital colonialism and largely U.S. tech giants making their way to the continent. Instead of tech development testing and the establishment of local offices, tech giants should create and provide African techies with jobs, he argued.

Last year, activist and Silicon Africa editor Mawuna Koutonin wrote an article which took facts and figures from the 2012 Information Economy Report ,created by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Koutonin recapped the report highlighting the fact that in terms of ICT development and advancement — smaller, economically inefficient countries in Africa are likely to be digitally colonized.

But what about techies who are waiting and looking to transform ICT through entrepreneurial ventures? While many countries in Africa have substantial tech progress to make — isn’t the presence of resources and initiatives that tech giants and foreign companies establish helping the growing industry of software engineers and tech hopefuls?

Government ICT Development and Weak Countries

“Weaker” countries, which heavily rely on software imports and innovation of foreign engineers, will be left behind, the Silicon Africa article said.

“Nigeria and African governments have to fight for their digital independence. Currently Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, SAP, Orange (France Telecom), and a bunch of international corporations controls the digital assets and the main infrastructure of the African Internet,” Koutonin wrote.

More than 100 IT companies that have found a home in Africa are mainly focusing on tech integration and customization, he noted, possibly taking advantage of the untapped market.

However, since last year, initiatives for some of the top tech companies have changed and progressed. The establishment of broadband service and venture capital for entrepreneurs has leveraged the presence of companies, which have otherwise been criticized for not prioritizing tech job creation.

In addition to governments conforming to ICT development and accessibility — with country constitutions and legislation at their fingertips — citizens and tech entrepreneurs have the power to hold governments accountable for not only ICT advancement, but compliance and transparency. This type of innovation is expected to snowball, helping to push forward sluggish governments which place their countries in compromising positions — unbarred to digital colonialism.

Confirming that ICT frameworks — no matter how they’re established — influence and broaden opportunities for tech entrepreneurs, a report highlight stated:

“The Report introduces the concept of the national software system. It emphasizes that domestic software producers and users are greatly influenced by the quality and affordability of ICT infrastructure, access to relevant human resources and capital, the legal framework, an enabling business infrastructure, as well as by the links with software networks in the rest of the world.” 

“Governments play a central role in the national software system. Overall, the competitiveness of the system is affected by the national vision, strategy and government policies which should nurture software capabilities and the system as a whole,” it said.