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.
Without ICT advancement of governments, the Information Economy Report suggests, African countries will be placed in a position where innovation and useful technology will have to be accessed by other African countries which caught onto the tech wave, or more complex, innovation from abroad.
U.S. Tech Giants and What They’re Doing
Government ICT breakthroughs aside, tech giants have made their way to the continent, many to push efforts which will aid countries in establishing stable tech industries.
Google recently announced the completion of a balloon broadband experiment which could provide internet access for South Africans in rural areas and ultimately the continent’s population of 1 billion.
Microsoft — which ushered in the 4Afrika mobile phone initiative earlier this year — is working alongside Google in the white space broadband innovation hunt. By establishing reliable internet across the continent, the current 16 percent of internet users would greatly increase. This would open up unfathomable opportunities for tech entrepreneurs — who have without a great deal of resources — already created incredible apps and software.
Although IBM’s research lab will focus on the development of “energy, water, transportation, agriculture, healthcare, financial inclusion, human mobility and public safety,” India Times reported, the findings and action plans will be tech based, creating opportunities for techies, scientists and engineers — all of which play a role in fueling ICT development.
Tech Entrepreneur Takeover?
National ICT advancement and infrastructure is essential in stabilizing countries, because it presents global competitiveness and opens the door for further technology development. If given access to tools, resources and people through the global tech community — and the help of tech giants — Africa’s tech entrepreneurs have the power to make a huge impact across the continent’s ICT sectors.
Tech giants can essentially cancel out government reliance by building ICT infrastructures for Africa’s engineers and innovators.
Although the roughly 100 tech hubs in Africa are fairly new, with sustainability and revenue generation as end goals, many of them are making strides, IT Web reported.
Microsoft Ventures and Google (along with venture capital firm 88mph) have made efforts to nurture and fund African and African-focused start-ups, encouraging other companies to follow suit.
When the focus is turned not on the presence of tech giants and subsequent job creation, the notion of tech entrepreneurialism in Africa paving the way for advancement can be considered. Africa’s tech creators are just as vibrant and idea driven as tech entrepreneurs in any other part of the world. Having been deprived of opportunity, capital and resources, tech engineers and entrepreneurs posses a greater desire to showcase their talent and improves the lives of others.
So, yes the aid of tech giants establishing an ICT framework in Africa is essential — some would argue not as pertinent as job creation.
However, tech innovators in Africa may not be looking for employment from tech giants — they may very well be waiting for the companies to aid in presenting them with a fair entrepreneurial playing ground.