The Geopolitics of Digital Technology in Africa

As the world leans into the fourth industrial revolution, Africa has become a frontier for the geopolitical power play of China and the United States. Amid this, African governments must take control of their digital development or end up as pawns, again.

Editor’s note: This essay is available in our print issue, An African Manual for Debugging Empire. Buy the issue here.

The fourth industrial revolution is generally understood as the boom period that has seen the rapid inclusion and infusion of digital technology into major aspects of society, such as manufacturing, communication, trade and governance. Thus, control of these technologies is imperative for global powers to assert their dominance and influence.

In the 21st century, Africa has become central to that power tussle. The African market is the new hub for the import of digital communication. Moreover, global technology dependency relies heavily on African resources such as coltan, lithium, and platinum that are essential for technological devices. For instance, South Africa holds 80 per cent of global platinum reserves, which is critical for manufacturing high definition displays in smartphones, computers and other devices that are critical for communication and the transmission of sensitive information. Major multinational tech companies have also ringed the African coastline with a variety of fibre-optic cables that facilitate near-seamless access to the internet.

Thus, Africa’s development potential and growth in digital technology play into geopolitics. It is only from understanding contemporary geopolitics that we can assess the role of digital systems and technologies in the development priorities of African countries...

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