Blog 6

It's easy to assume that once people have internet access, the digital divide has been solved. But after reading the interview with Nanjira Sambuli, I realised how much deeper the issue goes. In many African countries, including South Africa, just having access to the internet doesn't mean people are getting equal value from it. Sambuli highlights how things like gender, education, and economic background all play a role in shaping someone's experience online — or even whether they're online at all (Sambuli, 2021). One thing that stood out to me was the idea that even when women can access the internet, they're often not supported in learning how to use it fully, or they face social pressures that limit their engagement. It's not just about cables and data anymore — it's about who feels like they belong in digital spaces and who gets left out. And that gap can't be fixed just by handing someone a phone or giving them Wi-Fi. It's deeper — more about digital agency, confidence, and community. That idea really connects with what the Design Justice Network talks about. They argue that design isn't neutral, and that it can either challenge or reinforce existing systems of inequality (Design Justice Network, n.d.). A lot of digital tools and platforms are built without input from the people who will be most affected by them — and that's a problem. If design decisions are only made by a small, privileged group, then the results are likely to reflect their experiences and ignore everyone else's. Both Sambuli and Design Justice push back against the idea that technology alone can fix social problems. Just giving people access to devices or platforms doesn't automatically make things more fair. True inclusion means listening to the people who are usually left out and making sure they're involved in the process from the start. It means acknowledging the barriers they face and actively designing to overcome them — not treating those barriers as afterthoughts. This feels especially relevant in South Africa. Sure, many people are online now, but things like high data prices, bad connectivity in rural areas, and low digital literacy are still major barriers (Research ICT Africa, 2020). Even when people do get online, they often find that the tools weren't built with them in mind — interfaces aren't translated, sites aren't mobile-friendly, and important services assume a level of tech knowledge not everyone has. And when people can't fully engage, it deepens the inequality rather than reducing it. For me, as someone learning about both tech and design, this is a wake-up call. It's not enough to make things that work — we have to ask: who are we designing for? And more importantly, who are we designing with? Inclusion has to be intentional. It's not just a feature you add at the end — it should guide the whole process. Design shapes our digital world. If we want that world to be fair and accessible, we need to start designing with justice in mind — and that starts by listening. Really listening — not just collecting feedback, but involving people meaningfully, from the very beginning.

References:

• Design Justice Network. (n.d.). Principles of Design Justice. Retrieved from Design Justice Principles
• Research ICT Africa. (2020). After Access 2020: The State of ICT in South Africa. Retrieved from Research ICT Africa
• Sambuli, N. (2021). Interview: Digital Access Is Not Enough. In Design Justice Zine #2. Retrieved from Digital Access Interview