African governments are struggling with enormous unemployment, especially among young people, and poverty. The non-digital labor market does not offer enough employment opportunities for the high number of people who enter the labor market. However, many hurdles are encountered when attempting to seize this opportunity and enable potential digital workers
to work in the digital space. This paper aims to promote understanding of issues related to the digital divide, gender digital divide, geographical dispersion of digital work, and adverse digital inclusion.
First, the lack of access to ICT is discussed, especially for those living in Sub-Saharan Africa where digital infrastructure is inadequate. It then analyzes the geographic distribution of digital work and examines how this could negatively impact African digital workers and encourage exploitation. In addition, it is discussed that there are also problems with the integration of people into the digital world of work since digital companies benefit from a lack of regulatory framework for digital workers in Sub Saharan Africa and therefore use predatory practices. It is argued that inclusion is not a panacea against poverty as wages for digital workers are particularly low in Sub-Saharan Africa. Both aspects – the digital divide and adverse digital inclusion – are analyzed from a gender perspective. This paper attempts to shed light on inequalities arising from unequal access to digital technology and inequality arising from inclusion in the digital labor market. It ends with a proposal of possible solutions and political implications.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Digital divide
2.1 Digital divide between Global North and Sub-Saharan Africa
2.2 Gender digital divide
3 Geographic dispersion of digital work
4 Adverse digital incorporation
4.1 Mechanism of adverse digital incorporation
4.2 Examples of adverse digital incorporation
4.3 Gender and adverse digital incorporation
5 Conclusion
Research Objectives & Key Themes
The paper examines the socio-economic challenges within the African digital labor market, specifically focusing on how the digital divide and inadequate regulatory frameworks lead to the exploitation of workers. It aims to determine whether digital labor platforms truly offer a pathway out of poverty or if they merely perpetuate historical inequalities and labor exploitation.
- Analysis of the digital divide between the Global North and Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Examination of the gender-specific barriers and inequalities in the digital sphere.
- Investigation into the geographic dispersion and precariousness of digital work.
- Evaluation of "adverse digital incorporation" as a source of worker exploitation.
- Assessment of the role of regulatory frameworks in protecting or harming digital workers.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2 Examples of adverse digital incorporation
Uber as a digital platform has been hailed by African governments as a desperate attempt to tackle high rates of unemployment, particularly among youth, and poverty (Howson 2023). However, the empowerment of African workers has not yet been achieved since the launch of Uber about a decade ago due to Ubers predatory practices. In South Africa, Uber tried to attract potential drivers with subsidies. They even managed to do this to a point where the labor supply far outstripped demand leading to relational inequality as Uber drivers were considered easily replaceable. Uber then increased its commissions and cut the wages of South African drivers (Howson 2023). Uber drivers in Kenya experienced even harsher fare cuts of 35% by 2016 (Howson 2023). It also further cuts wages by offering consumers cheaper services like UberChapChap, which are even cheaper than the traditional Uber service (Howson 2023).
Since African Uber drivers are based in a region or country where employment opportunities are scarce, they have no choice but to accept unfavorable ageements. To date, it is not clear whether digital labor platforms like Uber have created an opportunity to earn a sustainable living as expected by African governments. Some speculate that it has added little to no real value to local economies. Howson claims that in African countries “[…] technological development ‘solution’ offered by multinational corporations have often served as a Trojan horse for labour exploitations.” (Howson 2023). Exploitation is not limited to location-based digital platforms, where tasks are performed in specific locations such as ride-hailing services provided by Uber and its drivers (Castel-Branco/Dawson 2022). In addition, digital workers can be exploited on online web-based digital platforms, such as OpenAI, where certain tasks like purging systems from toxic content, can be performed anywhere Internet access is assured (Castel-Branco/Dawson 2022).
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter highlights the unemployment crisis in Africa and introduces the study's objective to analyze the digital divide and the risks associated with digital labor inclusion.
2 Digital divide: This section discusses the unequal access to ICT tools and infrastructure, specifically contrasting the Global North with Sub-Saharan Africa, and addresses the gendered nature of this divide.
3 Geographic dispersion of digital work: This chapter examines the rise of global digital labor platforms and how they leverage the low cost of labor in the Global South for remote services.
4 Adverse digital incorporation: This chapter explores the concept of "adverse digital incorporation," detailing the mechanisms of exploitation and providing real-world examples such as Uber and OpenAI.
5 Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes the findings, arguing that technological inclusion is not a panacea and suggests the implementation of stronger legal frameworks to protect African digital workers.
Keywords
Digital divide, Gender digital divide, Sub-Saharan Africa, Digital labor platforms, Adverse digital incorporation, Exploitation, ICT, Relational inequality, Global South, Remote work, Regulatory framework, Labor rights, Precarious employment, Digital workers, Job market.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this research?
The paper focuses on the interplay between digital inclusion and labor inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa, exploring how digital platforms impact the livelihood of local workers.
What are the primary themes discussed in the work?
The core themes include the digital divide, gender inequality, the geographic nature of digital work, and the concept of adverse digital incorporation.
What is the primary research objective?
The objective is to understand how the expansion of the digital labor market influences economic outcomes for African workers and to evaluate the prevalence of exploitation within this system.
Which methodologies are employed in this paper?
The paper functions as a literature review and analytical study, synthesizing existing data and scholarly research on digital economies to critique current digital labor practices.
What does the main body of the text cover?
It covers individual access to technology, the gendered aspects of digital participation, the emergence of a precarious digital labor force, and structural exploitation by global corporations.
Which keywords best describe this study?
Relevant keywords include digital divide, worker exploitation, Sub-Saharan Africa, gender inequality, and adverse digital incorporation.
How does the author define 'adverse digital incorporation'?
It is defined as a process where inclusion in a digital system enables a more-advantaged group to extract disproportionate value from the work or resources of a less-advantaged group.
What role do global corporations play in the African digital landscape according to the findings?
The paper suggests that multinational corporations often engage in predatory practices, using the lack of regulatory frameworks to undermine labor rights and depress wages.
What does the paper conclude about the digital divide for women?
The paper concludes that women face specific intersectional barriers, including societal stereotypes and safety concerns, which persist even when technical access to digital infrastructure is granted.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Anna Semucyowera (Autor:in), 2023, Digital Workers in the Global South. Challenges of Inclusion of Digital Workers in Sub-Saharan Africa, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1437584
