Why Africa is Putting More Resources Into Online Communications

Why Africa is Putting More Resources Into Online Communications,
and Why the Job Isn’t Done Yet.

Could you imagine a single day without internet connection? In the US economy, the effects would be so great it would take months to recover the damage. In Africa, however, the most internet inclusive country is South Africa, rated at 39th in the world in that aspect. Fortunately, that’s changing, and fast (Internet Inclusivity Index). With this rapid change, Africa is becoming a bigger and bigger component of worldwide communications, and its economy is rising with it, on the other hand, growth can also bring up new problems. And if we as a global community intend to use the internet as a method of connecting people from anywhere on Earth, these issues affect all of us, not just the people of Africa.

Africa’s technological capabilities, like all other countries, limit its growth and economy. This is a concept many understand, and in this context, that means online connectivity will bring prosperity to Africa, but why? Access to worldwide information allows ideas and concepts to travel to markets across the globe, allowing African entrepreneurs the ability to use technology designed in other parts of the world, or just find a new way to improve their businesses (Tugee). In addition, with a growing amount of infrastructure, new jobs will be needed to service this infrastructure, not to mention the constant construction required to keep up. And maybe most importantly, with worldwide access comes the ability to sell to a worldwide market, through online shops or increased publicity (Tugee).

The benefits of having widespread internet access in Africa is clear, however there are challenges that are implicit with a userbase growing as fast as it is in Africa. Obviously the first thing that might come to mind is that while new infrastructure is good for jobs, it also means you need a lot of people to fill those jobs, and they expect a paycheck. Right now, with so many people getting internet access per day, and so many more people wanting access, the limiting factor is how fast and how well services can be constructed, and how quickly their product, internet access, can be delivered. In addition, from a societal standpoint, people are not yet accustomed to the internet and what it means to share information online. As such, internet security in Africa is terrible, and people who are going online often don’t even realize the risk they are at with their current habits (Internet Security). Extensive education can be used to fix this, but only time and exposure to the internet will truly change the culture. Once this change has happened, knowledge will likely follow suit.

While the issues regarding internet growth seem daunting, the power and opportunity that will come with a more complete global internet is worth this effort. To bring the internet to its full potential, every person who needs a voice should be given one, and be heard around the world, regardless of who they are or where they are. This concept is not going to be fulfilled by just having a fraction of countries involved, as it requires full participation to work. Africa needs to be part of that world. This task will require immense work, and heavy funding, but the outcome will benefit people inside and outside of Africa.

Works Cited

"Internet Security in Africa 'Non-Existent', Experts Warn." Africa News Service, 8 Dec. 2017. Global Issues in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A517860976/GIC?u=los42754&xid=1e203759. Accessed 6 Mar. 2018.

EIU Inclusive Internet Index, The Economist Group, 2018, theinclusiveinternet.eiu.com/.

Tugee, Tonny. “Internet Connectivity as a Catalyst for Sustainable Development in Africa.” The Standard, The Standard, 27 Feb. 2018, www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001271421/internet-connectivity-as-a-catalyst-for-sustainable-development-in-africa