Computing in the Global South

Computing in the Global South
Name	Computing in the Global South
Region	Global South
Disciplines	Information technology, Computer science
Notable institutions	University of Cape Town, Indian Institute of Technology, Universidade de São Paulo, Cairo University, Makerere University, National University of Singapore
Notable people	Philip Emeagwali, Radia Perlman, Andrew Ng, Soumya Swaminathan, Mark Shuttleworth

Computing in the Global South Computing in the Global South examines technological development, deployment, and usage across regions including Africa, Latin America, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and parts of Oceania. It intersects histories of colonialism, decolonization, Cold War, and contemporary policies shaped by institutions such as the World Bank, International Telecommunication Union, and United Nations Development Programme. Scholarship engages scholars and practitioners from institutions like University of Cape Town, Indian Institute of Technology, Universidade de São Paulo, Makerere University, and Cairo University.

Definition and Scope

The field maps computing hardware, software, networks, and human capital across regions including Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Ghana, Zambia, Tanzania, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Solomon Islands. It includes actors such as MTN Group, Safaricom, Grameen Bank, Mercado Libre, Nubank, BID, African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and projects like One Laptop per Child, M-Pesa, Aadhaar, Digital India. Scope covers research hubs at Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Oxford, London School of Economics, and regional centers like Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas, Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires, Institut Pasteur, and African Institute for Mathematical Sciences.

Historical Development and Adoption

Computing trajectories trace influences from British Raj, French colonial empire, Dutch East Indies, and postcolonial alignments with Soviet Union and United States during the Cold War, affecting technology transfer via entities like IBM, DEC, Hewlett-Packard, and Cisco Systems. Early computing in regions involved research at Indian Statistical Institute, deployment projects influenced by World Bank loans, and academic exchanges with University of Cambridge, École Polytechnique, Technische Universität München, and École Normale Supérieure. Milestones include adoption of mobile telephony driven by companies such as Vodacom, Airtel, Claro, and landmark software diffusion through communities around Linux Foundation, Apache Software Foundation, Mozilla Foundation, and participation in ACM and IEEE conferences.

Infrastructure and Access

Physical infrastructure depends on submarine cables like SEACOM, Marea, South Atlantic Cable System, and terrestrial backbones implemented by consortia including Telefónica, Orange S.A., Bharti Airtel. Energy constraints relate to projects with GE, Siemens, Schneider Electric and renewable deployments inspired by SolarAid and Barefoot College. Access models include prepaid mobile data offered by Safaricom, MTN Group, Vodacom, and low-cost hardware initiatives from Raspberry Pi Foundation, Intel, ARM Holdings, and local assemblers such as Mecer and Positivo Informática.

Local Innovation and Software Ecosystems

Local startups and platforms—Andela, Jumia, Konga, Rappi, Mercado Libre, Nubank, PagSeguro, iFood, Grab, Gojek, Tokopedia, Sea Group—drive ecosystems supported by accelerators like Y Combinator, 500 Startups, Naspers Foundry, Seedstars, and investors such as SoftBank, Tiger Global Management, Sequoia Capital. Open-source communities include contributors to Linux kernel, Debian, Ubuntu, Drupal, WordPress, TensorFlow, PyTorch, and regional coding hubs at iHub, CcHub, Nairobi Garage, Galpão Criativo. Notable innovators and entrepreneurs include Mark Shuttleworth, Patrick Ngowi, Sim Shagaya, David Vélez, Eduardo Saverin, Reshma Saujani, and researchers like Timnit Gebru, Joy Buolamwini, Fei-Fei Li, Andrew Ng engaged with local labs.

Education, Skills, and Workforce Development

Academic programs at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Universidade de São Paulo Computer Science Department, University of Cape Town Department of Computer Science, Makerere University College of Computing and Information Sciences, and National University of Singapore coexist with coding bootcamps from General Assembly, Le Wagon, and local initiatives like Andela training cohorts. Scholarships and fellowships from Rhodes Trust, Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, Fulbright Program, Chevening shape mobility alongside MOOCs provided by Coursera, edX, Udacity, and partnerships with Microsoft, Google, IBM for certification programs.

Policy, Governance, and Digital Inclusion

Policy frameworks cite instruments like Aadhaar, General Data Protection Regulation, African Continental Free Trade Area, ASEAN Digital Masterplan, Mercosur digital agendas, and multilateral initiatives led by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, International Telecommunication Union, World Health Organization, World Bank. Regulatory agencies such as National Telecommunications Commission (Philippines), Trai, Anatel, ARCEP govern spectrum and licensing, while civil society groups including Access Now, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Privacy International, ARTICLE 19 advocate digital rights.

Challenges and Opportunities

Persistent challenges involve digital divides exacerbated by unequal access to submarine cables, electricity shortages, and financing gaps contested in negotiations with International Monetary Fund, World Bank, BRICS development banks, and bilateral partners like China, European Union, United States. Opportunities arise via climate-resilient datacenter projects with Equinix, Digital Realty, localized manufacturing supported by China Electronics Corporation, and bilateral research collaborations with CSIR (South Africa), CONICET, CNPq, Indian Council of Medical Research.

Case Studies by Region and Country

Africa: Kenya’s ecosystem centered on M-Pesa, Safaricom, iHub; Nigeria’s market shaped by Jumia, Andela, Flutterwave; Rwanda’s digital push linked to Kigali Innovation City, Rwanda Development Board, and partnerships with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit.

South Asia: India’s scale influenced by Aadhaar, Digital India, technology hubs in Bengaluru and Hyderabad and firms like Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Wipro; Bangladesh’s growth linked to Grameenphone, bKash.

Southeast Asia: Indonesia’s market with Tokopedia, Gojek, Grab; Vietnam’s startups in FPT Corporation ecosystems; Singapore’s role via Infocomm Media Development Authority and National University of Singapore.

Latin America: Brazil’s fintech surge led by Nubank, PagSeguro; Argentina’s developer communities at MercadoLibre Research and academic centers like Fundación Sadosky; Mexico’s platform growth around Clip, Kueski.

Middle East and North Africa: Egypt’s ecosystem with Fawry, Egyptian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology; Morocco’s tech clusters and ties to French Development Agency.

Oceania and Pacific: Fiji and Papua New Guinea face connectivity challenges addressed by Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade programs and Pacific cable projects.

Category:Information and communications technology