Internet | Africa’s cellphone revolution

By Anna Malczyk

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As the world races from one technological innovation to the next, Africa is lagging behind. Poverty, poor infrastructure and lack of will have contributed to this unfortunate state. But Africans – innovative as always – have transformed the humble cellphone into a tool for connectivity and empowerment.

Cheap and easy
Basic cellphones are some of the cheapest technologies available, and airtime can be bought in precise amounts on a prepaid service. Using the basic features, like calling, SMSing and rudimentary web browsing is quick and easy to learn. On top of this, service providers in many countries are engaging in intense price wars – in Mozambique, you may receive five time the value of the airtime you paid for. Handset and airtime trade is burgeoning. Africa boasts 400 million subscribers, a number that is growing exponentially; many millions more have access to a family or village phone.

A good substitute
Despite its limitations, a cellphone can perform virtually any action that more expensive technologies offer – you can stay in touch through calls and SMSes, chat over services like MXit, send videos and photos by MMS, listen to radio broadcasts read texts, browse the web and use GPS services. Taken together, the humble cellphone is a powerful tool in a continent where telephone lines and even roads are scarce.

A million uses
Cellphones in Africa have a multitude of uses that even developed nations have not taken into account. Entrepreneurs coordinate their entire business operations by cellphone, like the farmers who communicate with shops in town to know what produce to deliver. Banks allow their account holders to transact and transfer money with their cellphones, and many shops offer purchase-by-cellphone services, where the phone becomes a virtual wallet or credit card. Aid agencies can coordinate projects by canvassing a wide range of participants. Researchers can get up-to-the-minute data on crop diseases, weather conditions and pollution from volunteers. Scholars have the potential to receive learning materials on their cellphones. There are even related business ventures starting up – some street vendors sell access to customers who pay per call, while others provide a battery charging service in areas without electricity. The potential is limitless.

Empowerment
One of the most important side effects of the cellphone boom is the empowerment that goes along with it. By using just a bit of ingenuity, Africans can compete in the global market and can contribute to business, culture, research and education. There is also a personal aspect. At its core, as a communication device, the cellphone allows for valuable contact between people who are far apart: a woman and her migrant-worker husband, parents and their fortune-seeking child, caregivers and sick patients. It brings dignity and compassion to people in extremely difficult situations – perhaps the most important effect of all.

This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution license.