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15% AI Literacy by 2026: How Africa Plans to Rewrite the Rules of the AI Race

Executive Summary

History rarely forgives those who mistake dominance for leadership. President Trump’s recent executive order to prioritize AI education for American youth—echoing China’s nationwide AI curriculum mandate—may seem, on the surface, a win for progress. And indeed it is for their countries, but, as this article will argue, not for the globe. Search deeper, and you will find that the motives behind this reveal a darker calculus: a race to monopolize AI’s future under the guise of ‘global dominance.’ The real issue lies in the language chosen—framing AI advancement as a quest for dominance rather than a shared journey of collective progress—undermining our potential to move forward together as a human race. For Africa, this rhetoric resurrects colonial ghosts, where ‘progress’ meant extracting rubber and cocoa, never sharing the tools to build. This colonial approach is seen today as Silicon Valley and Beijing vie to mine Africa’s languages for chatbots and its youth for cheap data labor, the continent risks becoming a data hinterland, perpetually feeding algorithms it cannot own. This is why Africa’s AI Declaration—endorsed by all 54 states—and its target of attaining 15% AI literacy by the end of 2026 are revolutionary. Henceforth, and as beautifully captured in the Declaration, Africa rejects the role of a passive consumer and asserts its right to design AI that solves its own problems and reflects its own values. Educating youth isn’t the problem—it’s educating them under a worldview that reduces our continent to a resource. America and China may chase dominance, but Africa is sharpening its claws to lead. 

Global Interests President Trump’s recent executive order to prioritize AI education for American youth is not an isolated act but a calculated move in a broader strategy to cement U.S. hegemony over the AI-driven future. This announcement comes hot on the heels of China’s mandated AI education in its national curriculum, requiring schoolchildren to learn AI fundamentals as early as primary school. The ambitions of both nations are commendable, but we fear their rivalry risks actualizing the Kiswahili proverb, ‘Fahari wawili wakipigana, nyasi huumia’ (When two bulls clash, the grass is trampled). While upskilling American youth in AI is a worthy pursuit, the Executive Order’s stark vow to ‘maintain global dominance’ is not just provocative—it echoes the zero-sum logic of Cold War rivalry.

AI’s transformative potential isn’t confined by borders; its ethical and economic impacts will ripple across continents. America’s vision, as espoused in the executive order’s White House Fact Sheet, is to “maintain America’s global dominance in this technological revolution for future generations.” If the U.S. alone shapes this technology, we risk replicating historical inequities where innovation benefits the few, not the many.

This initiative—establishing a White House Task Force, funding teacher training, and incentivizing apprenticeships—aligns with aggressive policy frameworks like OpenAI’s US Economic Blueprint. This Blueprint urges the U.S. to lock in American competitiveness through export controls, deregulation favoring private-sector innovation, and infrastructure investments to outpace China. OpenAI’s proposals, submitted to the White House Office of Science and Technology, explicitly frame AI as a tool to advance “democratic” values while neutralizing Chinese influence. The proposal advocates for policies that “protect America’s AI lead” by restricting technology diffusion and securing dominance over critical infrastructure like semiconductors and energy grids.

This U.S.-centric agenda is further amplified by the compliance of American tech giants. Since President Trump’s return to office in January 2025, American tech giants like Meta and Google have implemented significant policy shifts that align more closely with the administration’s agenda. These changes have included rolling back content moderation policies and scaling back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Meta, for instance, has ended its partnerships with independent fact-checkers on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, replacing them with a user-driven “community notes” system. This move was justified by CEO Mark Zuckerberg as an effort to reduce perceived political bias and promote free expression. In terms of DEI efforts, Meta has dismantled its diversity-focused hiring and training programs, citing a “shifting legal and policy landscape”. Similarly, Google has scrapped its diversity-based hiring targets and is reassessing its DEI initiatives in response to recent changes in U.S. legislation and executive orders under President Trump’s administration. Moreover, in recent months, the AI industry has undergone a quiet yet strategically calculated shift in language. Prominent leaders such as NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang have moved away from calling the core infrastructure “AI data centers,” instead adopting the term “AI factories.” While this may initially sound like mere semantics, the change in terminology carries significant political weight. It reflects a deliberate attempt to align Silicon Valley’s goals with broader national industrial agendas, especially the Trump-era push to bring manufacturing back to the United States.

Meanwhile, the U.S.-China trade war has intensified. The U.S. government has banned the export of advanced GPUs like Nvidia’s H100 and A100 to China, with the explicit goal of limiting China’s progress in artificial intelligence and supercomputing. These restrictions began with sweeping export controls in October 2022, which targeted high-performance chips and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The controls were further tightened in October 2023 and again in December 2024, expanding to cover even chips specifically designed to comply with earlier rules, like Nvidia’s H20, which now also requires a special export license for China. Yet, despite these efforts to cripple its access to cutting-edge hardware, China stunned the global tech community in April 2025 with the release of “DeepSeek,” a powerful, domestically-trained AI model on par with GPT-4, proving Beijing and her people are no pushovers – and further intensifying the AI arms race between the two powers.

African Interests

For Africa, these dynamics are a wake-up call. In a modern echo of the Cold War, the U.S. and China are fiercely vying for control over AI’s future.  China accelerates state-backed AI innovation and expands its digital footprint across emerging markets. At the same time, OpenAI’s US Economic Blueprint urges export controls to ensure American AI systems dominate global markets. The continent, thus, risks becoming a battleground for hegemonic interests, its data mined and its markets partitioned. 

For AI to truly serve humanity, it must be democratized. As Africans, home to the world’s youngest population, we need to heed to clarion call to reject being a passive recipient of this revolution but rather a critical co-author. As America invests in its youth, Africa’s leapfrogging potential hinges on Afrocentric AI ecosystems that address local challenges while contributing globally.

It is also important to note that Africa is not the only geopolitical bloc redefining the rules in the global AI race. On May 12, 2025, Sheikh Mohammed, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, announced that Artificial Intelligence would become a mandatory subject in all UAE schools. The new AI curriculum will include up to 20 hours of instruction per academic year, covering topics such as ethical AI use, prompt engineering for AI tools, and the critical evaluation of AI-generated content. This initiative is part of the UAE’s broader strategy to diversify its oil-dependent economy and position itself as a regional leader in AI and technological innovation. Just recently, Gulf nations such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia entered into major AI infrastructure agreements with the United States, treating them with the same strategic importance as traditional deals in oil, gas, and defense. The message is unmistakable: AI has become the new petroleum, and controlling its production infrastructure is now a key pillar of national power.

What then must we do? Beyond Extraction: The Africa AI Declaration 

At the Global AI Summit on Africa in Kigali (3rd to 4th April 2025), a watershed moment unfolded as all 54 African governments signed the Africa Declaration on Artificial Intelligence, a bold repudiation of the continent’s historical relegation to the periphery of global value chains. For centuries, Africa was cast as a supplier of raw materials—its minerals, labor, and creativity extracted to fuel foreign industrialization while being denied the tools to manufacture or innovate. The Declaration flips this script, envisioning a future where Africa shapes AI technologies rather than passively consuming them. It rejects the colonial-era paradigm of “central states” dictating terms to the “periphery,” instead asserting Africa’s right to lead in designing AI systems that reflect its languages, cultures, and developmental priorities.

As Africa shifts from being a passive consumer of AI technologies to becoming an active developer, the vision set out in the Declaration calls for a bold commitment: training 15% of the continent’s population in AI literacy by 2026.

In 1962, sociologist Everett Rogers introduced the Diffusion of Innovation theory, which explains how new ideas and technologies spread through societies. A core tenet is the tipping point: once 15-20% of a population adopts an innovation, it reaches critical mass and accelerates toward mainstream acceptance. This threshold represents the early adopters and early majority—groups whose influence reshapes social norms and reduces uncertainty for the broader population.

The AI Talent Readiness Index—a framework measuring the continent’s capacity to cultivate AI skills through education, infrastructure, and policy alignment—makes one thing clear:  Africa’s diversity demands a decentralized approach to AI talent development. The 15% AI literacy target must be distributed strategically to amplify regional advantages: North Africa can harness the strength of its universities, particularly in Egypt and Tunisia, to train world-class researchers; West Africa can leverage Nigeria’s vibrant startup ecosystem to build entrepreneurial AI literacy; East Africa can capitalize on it’s mobile money innovations to democratize access to AI tools and skills; Southern Africa can draw on South Africa’s strong digital infrastructure and research capacity to accelerate technical specialization; and Central Africa, with its dynamic and youthful population, represents a vital frontier where grassroots innovation can be nurtured to drive inclusive AI growth. 

With 60% of Africans under 25, achieving 15% AI literacy means equipping 200 million youth with foundational AI skills. How exactly is Africa going to attain 15% AI Literacy by 2026? The Africa Declaration on Artificial Intelligence envisages a continent-wide strategy anchored in decentralized collaboration, cultural relevance, and systemic equity. Pan-African regional bodies like Smart Africa will partner with member states to co-develop National AI Strategies, ensuring alignment with the Declaration’s goals, including mandating AI curriculum integration at all education levels, from primary schools to vocational institutes and universities. Regional AI innovation hubs—like East Africa’s mobile money-integrated programs and North Africa’s Arabic-language NLP initiatives—will co-design localized curricula with governments, startups, and universities, while public-private partnerships will subsidize data costs and redirect foreign tech R&D budgets toward training African engineers. Rejecting homogeneity, the plan tailors AI literacy to grassroots realities: Kenyan pastoralists engage via livestock health apps, Lagos entrepreneurs learn through fintech bootcamps, and rural communities access training via radio modules, “tech tents,” and AI Village Champions. Crucially, linguistic sovereignty ensures materials are available in African languages, dismantling Anglophone elitism. By prioritizing hyper-local ownership over imported solutions, these strategies aim to transform 200 million youth from passive users into architects of Africa’s AI future, proving innovation thrives when rooted in context, not dominance.

Conclusion While the U.S. pours investments into AI to “maintain global leadership,” Africa’s 15% target is about something deeper: democratizing innovation. Diffusion theory reminds us that exclusionary systems eventually collapse. The White House frames AI education around sustaining U.S. “dominance,” but Africa’s ambition is different: “ownership”. At 15% AI literacy by 2026, we move beyond importing foreign technologies to contextualizing and creating solutions rooted in African realities.

Inclusive ecosystems — where 200 million African youth can code, critique, and innovate — don’t just adapt global trends; they redefine them.

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Rural-urban Divide Hampering Digital Health Innovation in Kenya

Just as the Ebola and now the Covid-19 crises galvanised digital health innovation, across Africa, the Covid-19 pandemic brought with it a surge of Kenyan digital health innovation in the health sector. However, infrastructure and other challenges continue to limit the reach of health digital innovations.

Tibu Health, Zuri Health, Nadia, TeleAfya and Penda Health are examples of telemedicine apps that connect patients to doctors and other primary healthcare workers, local pharmacies, ride share apps etc affordably. Damu-Sasa helps hospitals source blood from donors and from other hospitals, while tracking the donation histories.

Ilara Health offers affordable mobile phone and tablet-based diagnostic equipment to patients and healthcare providers in peri-urban areas. Afya Poa allows users to pay for health insurance premiums on a daily basis for inpatient care and save for outpatient care.

The product extends the cover to the user’s family. CEMA, a platform developed in a partnership between innovation lab Qhala, the University of Nairobi and Kenya’s Ministry of Health, aggregates epidemiological data from government and other sources and uses data engineering and data visualisation to make the data accessible to the general public for research purposes.

This surge was made possible partly by a supportive regulatory framework. Kenya’s National E-Health Policy 2016–2030 prioritises, among others, the development and use of mobile technologies for health (M-Health), as a means of delivering quality health care to all.

There is, arguably, space for more digital health innovation in the areas of maternal health, contact tracing, mental health, health data and others that would strengthen Kenya’s chronically underfunded health sector. However, systemic challenges continue to deepen a pre-existing urban-rural divide, hampering the ability of digital health innovation to scale.

Systemic Challenges Affecting Digital Health Innovation Growth

Infrastructure

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Digital innovations, including health innovations, in Kenya tend to be concentrated in urban and peri-urban areas for reasons related to infrastructure. Grid power is uneven in the rural areas, making the cost of internet connectivity higher in rural areas than it is in urban areas.

This high cost, combined with the fact that incomes are generally lower in rural areas, is part of the reason why only 17% of rural populations in Kenya have access to the internet, compared to 44% in urban areas, according to World Bank statistics. Access to 4G internet is still largely concentrated in and around urban centres[1].

Innovation ecosystem

In addition to infrastructure challenges, as Jacob Mugendi of Engineering for Change points out, innovation hubs tend to be located in urban areas not rural areas, contributing to the lack of an innovation ecosystem outside of the cities. This locks out of the digital scene potential local innovators who understand local problems that need solutions.

Low digital literacy

Despite the roll-out of the Kenyan government’s Digital Literacy Programme, many schools across the country, particularly primary schools, still do not have computers or access to them. Digital literacy levels remain low. Where digital tools are in use there is low availability of support, particularly for older, less savvy users[2]. Despite Kenya’s high smartphone penetration, digital health innovation in general tend to be the preserve of residents of urban and peri-urban areas.

These challenges are, in reality, three aspects of the same persistent rural-urban divide, deepened by systemic factors. Until these challenges are addressed, or until the digital health apps are designed to be more inclusive, the digital health innovation will not be able to scale within the country, no matter how much funding they are able to secure.

[1] https://www.engineeringforchange.org/news/challenges-implementing-digital-technologies-rural-kenya/

[2] https://www.engineeringforchange.org/news/challenges-implementing-digital-technologies-rural-kenya/

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Tech Innovation makes Open Access to Health Data a Reality in Kenya

Until recently, health data in Kenya was collected by the government and private enterprises. There was no central repository, making research and evidence-based decision-making a complicated affair. That has all changed due to an unlikely partnership between Kenya’s health ministry, digital innovator Qhala and the University of Nairobi.

The night before Kenya’s health ministry announced the country’s first Covid-19 case in March 2020, behind the scenes, Qhala’s data scientists were working to answer one question: how could data contribute to the national response to Covid? Qhala collected, coded and visualised public health data, creating epidemiological models and scenarios. It was these scenarios that informed the Kenyan government’s decision to lock down the country, saving countless lives.

Qhala went on to partner with the University of Nairobi and the health ministry to form the Center for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (CEMA). The centre, a multi-disciplinary community of practice based at the university, develops tools and models that aid the collection, analysis and visualisation of disease trends and other health information gathered from national population data. Prof Thumbi Mwangi, an epidemiologist at CEMA, explains its reason for being:

“The idea of CEMA is to harness the existing health data and make better decisions… the critical thing we want to address here [at CEMA] is both the speed and the quality of decision-making in health using data.”

CEMA brings together epidemiology experts and researchers and other academics from the University of Nairobi, data science and computer science professionals from Qhala and data obtained from government and private sources. CEMA merges the powers of data science and medicine to make health data available to the public at large. CEMA also provides advisory services to the government as well as expertise and training on translating data into policies that will improve public health. CEMA also has a focus on research. Dr Loice Ombajo, a co-director at CEMA and the Chair of Infectious Diseases, University of Nairobi elaborates on this role:

“The other focus area [of CEMA] is around research on infectious disease. This would be clinical research, population research, how various infectious diseases affect populations and factors within populations that affect infectious disease… So, when we collect health data from the patients we see, that then helps inform some of the models, some of the practices and data that ends up being analysed.”

In aggregating and centralising health data, CEMA is making it possible for the government and the public to deeply investigate disease outbreaks and access demographic data. The centre is influencing government decisions on treatment protocols aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19.

A symbiotic partnership

CEMA is effective because each of its partners rely on each other’s unique strengths, in a symbiotic way. Qhala brings its strengths as a private sector entity:

Agility: Qhala has the agility to experiment, test and learn with tools and approaches in order to create bespoke visualisation and other tech solutions that benefit the CEMA partnership. In contrast, the government and academia tend to be slowed down by internal processes and peer-review requirements.

Partnerships: Qhala is able to partner with other private bodies to benefit CEMA. An example of this is Qhala’s partnership with Amazon web services that brought free cloud hosting to CEMA.

Cutting-edge data analysis and visualisation tools: Using code, Qhala researchers and data scientists are able to translate population and other data into easy-to-understand dashboard maps, charts and tables for consumption by the public.

The University of Nairobi brings the power of science to the work of CEMA through epidemiologists, infectious disease specialists, clinicians, mathematicians and statisticians. The university also brings credibility to CEMA, as the university vice chancellor, Prof Kiama Gitahi, points out:

“As a university, we have the appropriate convening power, we have the credibility… when we collect this data, using our well-trained scholars the professors here… it is going to be credible and therefore it is going to be very relevant to [making] decisions, including decisions on where we need to put our resources when we are taking care of the health of our people.”

The health ministry brings to the CEMA the expertise of collecting reliable national health data on a consistent and continuous basis. Without this health data, no analysis or data visualisation would be possible.

A source of locally-generated health data

CEMA is making it possible for the health ministry to base its decisions on reliable, locally-sourced data. Speaking during the launch of CEMA in June 2021, Dr Patrick Amoth, Acting Director-General for Health in the Ministry of Health said this access to local data was a key development:

“I think CEMA has done a great job in helping the ministry of health craft interventions, especially the advisories, based on locally-generated data… in the early phase of the [Covid-19] pandemic, we relied on data especially from China and the WHO… [we] could not directly infer that whatever was happening in China would happen in Kenya. That is when we thought outside the box to… bring our great academicians on board to… help us in terms of looking at the data, analysing the data so that we can craft interventions that will apply to our local populations.”

CEMA represents a different kind of public-private partnership, one that is driven by tech and data, rather than capital-intensive infrastructure. It will hopefully, inspire data and tech partnerships in other sectors and spark conversations on what the government can do to make the data it collects more readily usable by data scientists.

Injecting private sector agility

By training Masters and PhD students in data science and private sector agility, Qhala CEO Dr Shikoh Gitau hopes CEMA will influence the culture of decision-making in the health sector:

“For me the most… exciting part of this last year of CEMA has been in working with extremely young people on data… If we can do more of this, [provide] that private sector industrial perspective and experience while the students are still students, hopefully that [private sector] agility will be injected into how things are done [in the health sector].”

One positive outcome of the Covid-19 pandemic has been the increased momentum towards digitisation in all sectors. CEMA is one result of this momentum. Its creation has led to the deepening of data democracy in Kenya in the key area of health. It has raised the profile of the country as an example in the area of accessible health data. CEMA stands as a robust example of what is possible when communities of practice and partnerships leverage the power of data science, digital innovation and, ultimately, the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

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How Digital Transformation can Reinvent your Business

Simply put, digital transformation is the process of integrating digital technologies in all areas of a business, fundamentally changing in how it operates and the value it delivers to its customers. (SuperOffice.com). Digital transformation goes beyond simply introducing an e-commerce website, for example.

Company processes and the business culture must change to provide an ecosystem that will support that e-commerce website and enhance customer experience. Digital transformation is a deep dive into the business over time to change it from the inside out. No two digital transformation journeys are exactly alike.

It is resource intensive and it requires expert intervention in the areas of technology, data, process and organisational change (Thomas H Davenport and Thomas C Redman) to ensure the success of an organisation’s digital transformation journey.

As Imtiaz Mohammady, CEO, Nisum says: “Digital transformation isn’t just some technology project. It requires that an organization rethink its business model and how it serves the customer.” We take a brief look at four ways that digital transformation can bring fundamental change to an organisation.

Ways that digital transformation can bring fundamental change to an organisation

1. Change in strategy

Digital transformation implies introducing technologies such as bots, automated systems, blockchain-powered systems, or artificial intelligence (AI). These technologies are designed to consolidate processes and allow the flow of data from one department to another, eliminating duplication and hopefully, bottlenecks.

They have the added benefit of providing modern security protocols. The net effect of all these changes is to increase the organisation’s capacity to scale, requiring it, ultimately, to rethink its strategy.

2. Change in mindset

Digital technologies allow an organization to develop the ability to shift and change as customer requirements change. By building cross-functional teams that are constantly gathering customer feedback and testing and deploying ideas quickly, a company can realise the benefits of the agile mindset (Arshpreet Kaur) :

Faster time to market and, therefore, more flexibility in product delivery.

Efficient collaboration between development and testing.

Healthy organizational culture with much more independent and self-organizing employees.

Ability to incorporate changes without disrupting the entire product development cycle

Synchronization and harmony between the product owner, the scrum master, and the development team

3. An improved customer experience

A well-executed digital transformation will change the way a company delivers value to its customers, by offering a seamless, friction-free customer experience. This is key in an increasingly digital-first, post-Covid global business environment where the competition is only a click away.

Digital technologies allow a business to ensure customers are not always being disappointed by stock-outs, that they can use their preferred payment method and that data is always available on how a business is performing. (David Wilkinson)

4. An improved employee experience

The introduction of new digital technologies implies the replacement of legacy systems, offering employees and workers an improved experience. While businesses must expect some resistance to new technologies, a well-managed transition accompanied by training, coaching as well as a well-articulated vision, can help make the transition less anxiety-inducing for employees and ensure widespread adoption of new technologies and processes.

Digital transformation involves far more than adding technology to a business. It’s about transforming from the ground up in order to gain competitive advantage. Nothing about that process is business as usual.

Qhala has supported many African companies through their digital transformation journeys, carrying out research, helping them improve their customer experience and designing customised digital solutions. Get in touch with us.

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Platform Livelihoods Report

This is a study on Platform Livelihoods highlighting the quality of Kenyan youth’s digital experiences in logistics, e-commerce, farming and the creative sectors. The study was conducted by Qhala and Caribou Digital in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. 

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iHelix Programme: Call for Tech Startups

Are you a startup with the following expertise:

Distribution supply chain with platforms that can support tracking of goods from warehouse to distributors, receiving of reordering placements, and dashboard analytics capability.

Data analytics for agriculture and predictive analytics capabilities.

Record-keeping solutions, including GIS tagging capabilities.

Retail invoicing, automation of bills, automation of order placement, and fulfillment processes.

Event logistics including ticketing, equipment supply, etc.

We need you!

Qhala and UK-Kenya Tech Hub invite you to apply to join the iHelix Corporate Linkages Programme to support a range of Kenyan corporates in solving some of their most intractable problems in the above areas. Our search for startups is not restricted to Kenya. Any startup with the above expertise can apply.

The application deadline for iHelix Programme is 7 March 2022

Qhala, in partnership with UK Kenya Tech Hub, has created the iHelix Programme to bring together corporates who have a specific operational challenge and start-up companies that have the expertise to meet that challenge. 

Please make sure you have read the legal terms and conditions and the non-disclosure agreement in the application form before you apply. 

We look forward to engaging with you. 

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Intersectional Research in Tech Innovation: A Call to Action

It is never enough for a tech innovator to have a good idea. Innovations must go through intersectional research market test to ensure that they are well-received by target users. However, there is a pressing need for research to probe intersectional factors so that resulting tech innovations can solve problems for a wide range of users.

Probing the market

Innovation research involves probing to understand the problem space, needs, and opportunities before one can come up with solutions. Intersectional research allows innovators to probe the market to determine whether or not an innovation is worth deploying on a larger scale:

Does the proposed product/solution already exist? Did it succeed or not, and if it didn’t, what lessons can you learn from that failure? Does the product/solution solve a real problem for a large enough market? What is the perceived market and how large is it? Do potential customers understand the innovation and do they value it? How much are they willing to pay for it? Is there a real revenue opportunity?

Katie Lukes and Rob Hoehn offer more examples of questions that can guide market research around an innovation. The answers to these questions allow tech innovators to set clear research goals, identify gaps in the market and create bespoke, proprietary products or solutions. The answers to these questions might also highlight opportunities for collaborations.

Intersectional Research Analysis

These questions, though valid, assume a certain homogeneity in target customer groups. To be considered complete, intersectional research must integrate sex, gender, race, culture geography, quality or even availability of internet, language etc and other intersectional factors at every stage. The failure to probe the market at this level can result in, for example, digital maternal health technologies and programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa that exclude the very women who need them. (Ogochukwu Udenigwe, Sanni Yaya)

Ongoing research by Qhala reveals that many digital platforms that provide opportunities for gig work are seldom created to meet the unique needs of women, who tend to be disproportionately affected by security risks inherent in some platform work, such as delivery work, and who can find themselves being paid less than men. Digital platforms may also not be designed to meet the needs of physically impaired users, who have to depend on friends and family to effectively use the platforms.

Computer facial recognition features trained on biased datasets may not recognise women, darker skinned persons and non-conforming people as well as they might white male faces. (Gendered Innovations, Stanford University)

intersectional research is key to creating innovations that respond to real needs. However, that research must ask the right questions. The lack of research that takes into consideration intersectional factors remains largely unexamined and uninterrogated by tech innovators. As a consequence, the inequalities that exist in the non-digital world are simply replicated, even amplified, in digital innovation.

This is to the detriment of tech users, who are supposedly, the focus of tech innovation. However, complete research, that includes intersectional research analysis at every stage, can result in innovations that are inclusive and that stand a better chance of being commercially successful.

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Platform work: The power of communities and social networks

While platform work is redefining the future of work, there exists reduced organized belonging compared to traditional jobs where the employer gathers employees and provides perks and benefits, assets of work, upskilling resources, and team-building initiatives.

Figuring out how to use the ever-changing digital tools and gathering resources needed to participate are among the top priorities for people doing platform work think of when working, trading, renting, and creating online. These are key to adapting, surviving, and thriving in the nascent digital economy, which has its share of opportunities and challenges.

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Many people doing platform work are independent workers working gig to gig and project to project. Speaking to platform workers in Kenya, we noticed a growing use of communities, for belonging, as a way to share tips and resources, for ease in navigating the system, and as a channel to coordinate collectively for system change or member support.

WhatsApp and Facebook groups are among the top community networks utilized by those working online. Outside the major cities (Nairobi), communities and especially on WhatsApp groups are equally stronger if not better in peri-urban areas of Nakuru and Kitale when it comes to sharing job opportunities and work tips.

This membership-based organization is not a new phenomenon, Africa is highly communal. There are however limited assessments on the impact of communities and how these communities can be improved to be more impactful and action-oriented beyond connection and belonging in the digital economy.

These communities go beyond convening the people to;

Acting as learning networks, where tips and useful sector-relevant knowledge are shared openly.

Creating channels to cultivate trust, where for instance, members share information to spotlight a problematic client.

Enabling collective action by coordinating for systems change (albeit slow at the moment) including having timely discussions on what is working or not and contributing internally to support members.

From our research on what perks and benefits for independent workers look like, it was clear that most need collective action initiatives that work. Lack of bargaining power, possible worker exploitation through intermediaries, or contracts that lack transparency, was among the top need to unionize. Beginners mentioned benefitting hugely from communities.

If utilized well, collective efforts would enable them to access services at discounted prices and establish more defined relationships with service providers like insurance, and financial institutions as well as set clear terms of engagement.

Many independent workers are having to figure out ways to unionize as there are no trade unions set up for this. We believe there exists untapped potential among most of these communities that should be employed to advance the digital economy as a whole. These communities and social networks can be utilized as channels to thrive in a complex environment. This can be done through short time pilot studies to learn what works and what doesn’t.

What communities lack and need moving forward;

Advancing shared interests — There is a need to move beyond self-interests among members to shared interests. Those we spoke to felt that the communities they belong to would be more effective if there were more strategic shared interests.

Active contribution by all — For maximum outcome, continuously advance the space for shared benefits and have members define what they will offer to the community and what they expect from the community.

Increase collaborative engagement with stakeholders to effect change through co-creation. Move beyond internal discussions to advocating for policy changes.

Future of platform work

In an evolving economy, platform work will be among the top jobs of the future. We can’t plan how this all works out in advance but we can assemble different actors across the system to make sense of the different opportunities and challenges that this work presents. Through that, we will collaborate to create a network of impact that can be tapped into, and learn what works and what doesn’t. We propose tapping into communities and social networks to advance collective action in the digital economy.

Applying ILO’s decent work agenda for sustainable development and as guided by the four pillars of promoting jobs and enterprise, guaranteeing rights at work, extending social protection, and promoting social dialogue, at Qhala, we will continue to focus on research and development projects tailored to advancing economic participation for the youth in both urban and rural areas in Kenya.

This was originally posted on medium.

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Stay Safe, Go Digital – Some digital shifts effected by COVID-19 in Kenya

In the last few months, COVID-19 has reshaped society in dramatic ways and is slowly creating a new normal. In Kenya, things started shifting two weeks ago after the first COVID-19 case was announced, now the cases have risen to 30+. Shifts have been witnessed from how we shop, how we worship, how we work, how we learn and even how we stay entertained.

With all that is happening, we envision digital transformation becoming mainstream. Digital tools have been at the forefront of keeping people safe and informed about the virus. Chances are these habits will stick and now is a high time to learn and make digital channels effective as an organization.

In response to the coronavirus outbreak which is spreading fast, several companies have taken agile steps to make sure the curve is flattened.It’s been encouraging to see swift responses from different companies including the government, both public and private sectors and everyone at large.

We highlight some top shifts in the last two week:

Stay safe, go cashless, we have reduced transaction costs!— Banks and mobile money transfer services have waived cost of transactions, and are encouraging their users to make payments and money transfer online.

Stay safe, order online, we will deliver it to you, for free! — Delivery services have partnered with supermarkets and other businesses in availing products, mostly essentials to customers. Ordering products online is being encouraged.

Stay safe, you can worship at home — Several churches on Sunday resorted to streaming their services online mostly on their social media platforms. At the same time, members are being asked to pay for tithes through mobile money and bank transfers.

Stay safe, work from home — Following the directive for social distancing and reduced gathering, most companies have advised their employees to work from home. For those who’s nature of work requires being outside, strict measures are being taken to stay safe.

Stay safe, we will engage you wherever you are — Parties, entertainment, events, workouts have moved online. Online platforms are creating a space for social gathering which you can be part of from the comfort of your home.

These are definitely tough and uncertain times, but it’s encouraging to witness how both organizations and individuals are stepping up and making things better.

Do follow us as we share our insights from COVID-19, our key learnings on how organizations can use this period to inform their strategies and as we unpack this over the next few weeks. We hope you are doing your part, we all have a role to play in this pandemic.

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COVID-19, The Catalyst to Digital Transformation

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There is definitely no shortage of studies and articles written on the success and failures of digital transformation. Up until recently, the largest detractor of digital transformation have been the people. COVID-19 calls for unconventional and situation response strategies, digital channels being a best pick. Everything is being digitized. The once relegated digital strategy is being dusted, figuratively.

You might have come across these two polls on your social media pages.

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Recently, going digital has become a necessity rather than a nice to have. With social distancing, curfews and lockdowns limiting human contact, customers are engaging with businesses through online channels. This past few weeks, culture has been disrupted, for instance, those who were used to an 8–5 job, have all over sudden been forced to adopt a new way of working. Some can no longer have long winded meetings, or a pile of paper to go through for reference. How might we as businesses continue supporting business continuity in these not so business as usual times?

It has been hopeful to see organizations working tirelessly to support their clients, employees, those affected and everyone at large. Here are some SMS sent out this week from different businesses, showing a need for business continuity and at the same time staying safe amidst the chaos. In all of them, digital tools are at work.Curb the spread of Coronavirus, Avoid cash with M-PESA Transactions. Send money KSh 1,000 & below for free. Free Bank to M-PESA Transactions.Buy One Get One Free Today!! 2 large pizza at KES 1300. Experience Free and Safe Delivery Services!To prevent potential spread of COVID-19, we encourage you as our valued customer to use M-pesa or other alternative payment services for bill payment.Get these products from the comfort of your home! Free delivery, buy1get1free!Free e-learning material for form 1 to form 4, accessible anywhere anytime!Work from home, with unlimited internet today. Sign up and get one month absolutely free!

This has us thinking, will #COVID19 take the credit for accelerating #DigitalTransformation?

What does digital transformation mean?

We see it as a transformation that thrives through a continuous change. It has technology as an enabler but is deeply supported by the people and process shifts. It involves making changes from a current state to one where digital technology is integrated into all areas of the organization. It’s a culture change, a mindset and a process streamlining, where all units of the organization support the new way of doing things.

In the wake of COVID-19, businesses are required to adopt to new ways of working. All this to be able to serve their clients, support their employees and ultimately survive. Customers are now using online channels to engage with businesses be it in e-commerce, e-learning, digital payments, online entertainment among others. Other more traditional organizations are also moving online to reach and serve their clients in these uncertain times e g the case of online justice where judgement in courts is being delivered via online tools.

Why do I need to think of this digital transformation?

COVID-19 is clearly bringing the world together, to work on a solution, and contain the transmission. At the same time, it’s keeping us apart and leaving digital channels as the only safe resort.

Now more than ever, the value of IT has never been clearer. This has been showcased through remote collaborative work, business continuity amidst the pandemic and IT as the ultimate support tool. The more automated a business process is, the easier it has been to adjust. Organizations should definitely use this time to catalyze their transition.

Now more than ever, customers are opting to engage with businesses through digital channels. Businesses should work to scale those channels to not only deal with the rising demand but also offer an improved customer experience. Organizations should ensure they are doing digital customer journey audits to see how they can effectively map their offline experience to an online experience, and even provide a better experience. Now more than ever, interactions with customers will occur on screen rather than in person.

What can you do now?

Digital transformation is enabled by tech but it’s ultimate success depends on much more — the mindset, the people and the processes. Now is a high time to consider this shift. Why? Because the value of digital channels has become more obvious. As a business, if you haven’t already, start working on digitizing the current experience that you are delivering to your customers. This will set you up not only for now but in the long haul. You can use this period to test out your new ways of working and how best you can deliver value to your users. Are you in need of a digital audit? Digital strategy planning or someone to implement what you already have in mind? We work with organizations to help them actualize their digital plans. Reach out to us at

info@qhala.com, we can help your organization adjust to the new reality.

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These Digital Connections are Offering a Light Relief to Millions.

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These Digital Connections are Offering a Light Relief to Millions.

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With little to no activities happening outside the home due to social distancing, there has been a spike in online content creation and consumption. The pandemic might have disrupted and limited so many things but time and technology are still at our disposal. Screen time is at an all time high. Some would argue, we need to limit our screen time but it’s would be a struggle to digital detox or self regulate at the moment especially with work and connections having moved online.

On minute you are checking work email, or calling friends and family, the other you are keeping up with the news and slowly you sink into an endless loop while digging content to uplift your mood.

Many people stuck at home are turning to apps and online content to maintain a social life, showcase their creativity or just engage to ease the COVID-19 anxiety. Ideally, looking for something to recreate the social life, this rime digitally. Activities are ranging from online birthdays, happy hours with friends, funny challenges, work from home memes to game nights with friends.

Some of the tools that are facilitating this replication of social life include but not limited to:

Tiktok

One of the best places if you are looking for a light moment, either to watch funny videos or showcase your creative side. There has been increased rise of spontaneous stars (overnight celebs) when their challenge videos go viral. Looking for something fun to do? Maybe is time you finally figured TikTok.

Houseparty

This app has modelled what a physical houseparty gathering would entail. From getting invites to join the room from friends to being in rooms with strange people. Houseparty offers a chilled hangout place where you can chat, be on video calls and play games.

Virtual livestream

With venues and hangout joints shut down, celebrities, artists, influencers and event organizers are adapting to this new normal.They are holding live events on social media and video streaming platforms. You get to join, hangout, get entertained and engage at the comfort of your home. This is offering these creatives a way to bond and continue engaging with their fans.

Challenges and Tags

Viral challenges have been keeping people occupied, both on TikTok and Instagram. These challenges are clearly showing how fast viral things can spread. Spreading within circles all across the globe,in one way or another you might end up getting tagged by a friend. From #pushupchallenge to #toiletpaperchallenge among others.

Memes

Memes definitely bring smiles in one way or another. They are shared on social media channels or anywhere on the internet. One interesting thing about memes they keep on coming, one after another, touching on different things. People are really digging out funny things out of the pandemic, from work from home memes, COVID-19 memes to what a rollercoaster year 2019 has been.

While it’s all fun and games, it’s advisable to be on the lookout.

Check permissions the app is asking access to, this is just a way to make sure they are not compromising your security.

Be careful on the information you are consuming. Misinformation is sparking fear at this time of unknown future, only consume content about COVID-19 from trusted sources.

Don’t forget to sing, dance or engage in something that will give you a light relief! What things available online are uplifting your moods during this isolation? Let us know by commenting below.

Remember to stay safe, help and stand with your community during these times. In any way really, big or small that will contribute to safety. For information on how to stay safe during COVID-19, visit the WHO website.

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Factors Affecting Smartphone Adoption in Africa — Research by Qhala

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The Mobile World Congress in Kigali brought together more than 230 speakers, 1400 companies in attendance from 90 countries. Among the keynote speakers were H.E Paul Kagame, the President of the Republic of Rwanda and Hon. Mrs Paula Ingabire, the Minister of ICT & Innovation in Rwanda. The conference held from 17th to 19th October focused on 4 main themes;

Accelerate Africa

HealthTech

Fintech

Powering Digital

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This year, Dr Shikoh Gitau and Dr Wanjiru Mburu attended the MWC Kigali Policy Leaders Forum. The invite-only event brought together influential telecommunications leaders from across the continent. This year’s forum saw over 3,415 attendees, 10% being c-suite level with high level speakers in insightful panel discussions and keynotes tackling topics like the investment gap, handset affordability and bridging the digital divide.

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Dr Shikoh and Dr Wanjiru presented Qhala’s findings on the GSMA case study in Kenya. The report, “Factors affecting Smartphone Adoption in Africa” investigated the primary barrier, smartphone affordability, it looked into the factors driving consumer willingness and affordability and what more needs to be done.

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The main objective of the study was to focus on smartphone affordability and how this barrier shaped consumer behavior in smartphone acquisition, that is, the ability to pay, the desire to meet a need and the challenges to usage of devices in meeting the need.

The study carried out by Qhala, GSMA and Africa Practice included consumer surveys to gather behavioral insights on their willingness( preference for device features to meet their need) versus their ability(share of customer wallet) to acquire a device.

Qhala conducted this study in Kenya in counties with different characteristics;

Nairobi and Kiambu

Trans Nzoia (Kitale)

Nakuru

Isiolo and Meru

Kajiado

Kilifi

Muranga

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The report presented looked at the following factors and how they affected smartphone adoption;

Smartphone cost

Smartphone features

Poor Internet connection

High Internet Cost

Smartphone Perception

Cultural & Religious Aspects

Smartphone content

The study investigated factors affecting willingness and affordability and suggested solutions for each.

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The report also showed what it would look like for willingness and affordability when we measure value against effort.

What would the next steps of this study be?

To develop an ecosystem of partners; original equipment manufacturers(OEMs), community, financial service providers and mobile network providers.

To test the ecosystem model intra-country and evaluate it

To scale the ecosystem model to other countries in Africa.

The findings presented were able to inform leaders and other stakeholders where we are as a country and the affordability gap experienced as we strive to bridge the digital divide.

Find out more on the research findings presented by Dr Shikoh and Dr Wanjiru here

Read more on the 2023 PLF here

Here is the MWC Post Event Report

#Digitaleconomy #Africa #Digitaldivide #Qhala #Mobileworldcongress #DigitalTransformationAfrica #Smartphoneaffordability #MobileAdoption #Kenya

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KRA and Digital Transformation

In a rapid technological advancement era, countries are moving towards a future defined by digital connectivity and innovation. Countries are embracing digital transformation to reshape their economies and this is more evident and vital in the African continent. Qhala stands at the forefront of catalysing Africa’s digital transformation working together with organisations to make this a reality. Yet, there is still a lot that needs to be done, right from understanding what digital transformation is and the role it plays in ensuring an organization’s efficiency and sustainability. This blog shares insights gathered from a public lecture by Dr Shikoh Gitau at the 9th Annual KRA Tax Summit where the theme was building a resilient and progressive tax system. The session, “Creating an Economy on Supersonics: The Role of Digital Transformation” delved into Kenya’s digital transformation journey and its implications for organisations, specifically the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).

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“Digital transformation is participatory, human-centred and customer-centric” highlighted Dr Shikoh Gitau, CEO and Founder of Qhala Limited, and speaker of the session.

Dr Shikoh took the delegates through Kenya’s digital journey which started two and a half decades ago. She highlighted the significant pieces of registration for Kenya on digital economy and transformation, and KRA’s journey. Currently, Kenya is one of the most financially positive countries in the world. More data presented during the lecture revealed that Kenyans are the top per-capita users of social media. This can be attributed to the percentage of mobile phone subscription penetration in Kenya which is more than 100%. Additionally, out of about 51 million people, there are approximately 17.86 million internet users.

“Kenyans are using social media to trade, communicate, to get work, to do work and all this is to grow the economy”

What is digital transformation?

Digital transformation in business goes beyond digitization and digitalization. It involves a radical rethinking of how an organisation utilises technology, people, and processes to enhance business performance and customer experiences. Dr. Shikoh emphasised the shift in customer demographics, highlighting the need for communication tailored to the preferences of later-aged millennials and older Gen Zs, who have the concentration span of social media reels.

“ It is about the customer and this is because the customer has changed. The average age of Africa as a continent is 19 years, this means that the people who are becoming decision makers and taxpayers are later aged millennials and very older Gen Zs. They have the concentration span of an instagram reel, this means you have to ensure your content is an Instagram reel or Tiktok videos so that it can easily be consumed where they are. Communication has to be effective”

Characteristics of Digital transformation in a tax administration

Key elements include customer-centricity, tech-aware staff, and the adept use of technology and data. Dr. Shikoh stressed the holistic customer experience, emphasising that digital transformation extends beyond technology. It necessitates clear offline and online touchpoints and a workforce continually upskilled to improve efficiency. Despite KRA making strides in digitalizing tax systems in comparison to other countries like South Africa and Rwanda, there is still something more that can be done.

An exercise on Menti showed that on a scale of 1 to 10, KRA’s customer-centricity was at an average of 5.4 while the tech proficiency of KRA staff was at an average of 5.7 and KRA’s use of technology and data to fulfil its mandate scored a 6.4 average

Digital transformation principles for KRA

Dr. Shikoh proposed five principles — simplicity, inclusivity, transparency, data security, and delightful user experiences — as the cornerstone of KRA’s digital transformation journey. These principles, aligned with tailored services and collaborative partnerships, can foster engaged staff, innovative products, higher tax compliance, and increased customer satisfaction.

Throughout the lecture, the emphasis was on customer-centricity. Understanding the customer’s age, persona, online presence, and communication preferences is essential. Thinking creatively, integrating education and tax awareness, and prioritizing data protection are crucial steps. By focusing on customer needs, promoting tech awareness among staff, and leveraging technology and data, organizations can transform their digital landscape.

Watch the lecture and gain further insights here

Find more presentations from the summit here

About Qhala:

At Qhala, we recognize the immense potential digitalization holds for Africa’s transformation. Our mission is to ignite Africa’s digital transformation journey by empowering our communities and tech leaders with cutting-edge digital solutions and laying strong foundations for a digital-first economy.

Feel free to reach us here if you need help in your digital transformation journey.

#Digitaleconomy #Qhala #Digitaltransformation #Africa #Digitalization #Data #Technology #DigitaltransformationAfrica

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10 Demands by Women Ride-hailing and Food Delivery Workers

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Women workers in popular ride-hailing and delivery platforms are conspicuous by their absence in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. The Fairwork teams in these countries have asked women workers:

What do women want from these platforms?

What could these platforms do to make their work accessible to women?

Fairwork is an action-research project based at the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford. Through research on digital labour platforms and artificial intelligence, our goal is that the future of work can be made up of better and fairer jobs. Fairwork scores over 400 platforms, working across 38 countries and interacting with over 5000 workers since 2019

FAIR PAY

Fair pay after costs — Kenya

The platform should increase the pay due to the high inflation. We are suffering since there are no changes

Women want platforms to review their pricing and increase worker’s earnings. They want platforms to remember that inflation has impacted their costs, particularly when it comes to fuel. Such high costs mean that women’s real earnings are lowered.

2. Transparent pay — Tanzania

Customers offers should be eliminated so that fare costs can go up

Women in Tanzania want customer offers to be removed, as there is no transparency on how these offers affects their pay. Additionally, they are advocating for a government review of commissions across all platforms, as platforms can charge high commission rates that can, in some cases, leave them with less than minimum wage after expenses.

FAIR CONDITIONS

3. Safe working conditions — Kenya and Uganda

“Platforms should do more to ensure the safety of drivers, especially when clients are violent with us”

Women want platforms to do more to assure their safety from abusive and rowdy clients. Currently platforms reprimand drivers for how they treat workers but they fail to consider how drivers are vulnerable. Drivers are taking matters into their own hands in Uganda, using safety measures such as “carrying sticks, pepper sprays, pliers in their cars for protection”.

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4. A safety net — Tanzania

For the majority of us, this constitutes our primary occupation, and we serve as the sole breadwinner for our family

In platform work, most workers do not get sick or maternity leave. Nor are they compensated during their time off and can in fact lose earning opportunities if they are away from the platforms for a long time. Women want platforms to recognize that they, and their families, depend on platform work for their livelihood and not be penalized for falling sick or having children.

FAIR CONTRACTS

5. Clear and accessible contracts — Kenya and Uganda

Women want contracts to have less technical language and be translated into local languages for their ease. They would also appreciate it if, during onboarding, a platform representative was available to explain their contracts and answer their concerns.

“Our contract is only in English. That too formal business English which can be challenging to understand”

FAIR MANAGEMENT

6. Meaningful engagement with workers — Tanzania

“The availability of regular meetings for drivers’ complaints is needed”

Women drivers are calling for regular meetings with platforms to outline their complaints and create a safer working environment for them. Such meetings would help them feel listened to and attract more women to join the gig economy.

7. Preventing discrimination and ensuring safety — Tanzania

“Customers have directed harsh words towards me, questioning my choice of working on ride-sharing platforms as a woman, asking if I am married, and suggesting that I should be doing something else instead”

Women platform workers face discrimination and harassment often while undergoing their work. They believe they deserve better treatment at work and from the platform. They want firmer anti-discriminatory policies and consequences available for abusive customers.

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8. Effective mechanisms to respond to drivers’ complaints — Uganda

Women want to see platforms come up with communication channels that workers can use to lodge complaints. Issues such as non-payment by clients are routine and without a way to complain, women drivers have to bear this cost.

There was a time when the client did not pay you and you went to the app to complain and they refunded the money, but now that option is no longer available

9. Fast response times during times of unsafety — Uganda

“There was a time I was met by thieves, and there is an option for calling the support centre on the app, but also when you try to call, they do not respond to the call in time” — Ride-hail driver

When women are in an emergency situation, they want a platform that is fast and responsive. While most platforms have emergency helplines, these are useless if the platform does not respond in time.

FAIR REPRESENTATION

10. Recognizing worker collectives — Uganda

We share our live location with other women workers on WhatsApp groups. There’s no point complaining to the company. They won’t do anything

Women are often isolated and do not know other women who work on their platforms. When riders are able to come together in a group where they can organise collectively about issues that concern them they can support and help each other. This is especially the case when platforms are not responsive and do not take their issues seriously. But women want platforms to recognise these groups and work with them to improve working conditions.

For more on Fairwork, go to

www.fair.work

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Navigating the Challenges of the Platform Economy in Kenya: Insights from a Stakeholder Workshop.

In August, the Fairwork research team in Kenya hosted a crucial stakeholder workshop, delving into the theme, “Is there any Progress in the Platform Economy in Kenya?” The workshop brought together a diverse panel of experts who explored the state of Kenya’s platform economy. We explore the key takeaways and insights shared by the panelists and participants.

Kenya’s labour landscape has been slow to adapt, even though the platform economy continues to flourish. Labour laws and regulations are struggling to keep pace with the evolution especially in the digital economy. The high cost of living, driven by soaring fuel prices, has taken a toll on platform workers, leading to longer hours and work attrition. Additionally, despite efforts to introduce regulations for platforms by the regulatory body, NTSA, compliance remains a contentious issue for some platforms.

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A dive into each Fairwork principle revealed that the platform economy is not where it needs to be, there have been a number of changes and regulations introduced, however, platform workers are still facing a myriad of challenges and there is more that can be done to improve the platform economy.

Fair Pay

There is a big challenge in defining fair pay in the platform economy. The government has attempted to ensure fair pay through a uniform 18% platform commission cap, however, enforcement has been lacking. Platform workers have held numerous strikes pushing for change but there is little impact felt, the government’s response has been sluggish.

“This is a new form of work, and the laws currently in place govern workers who are employees… The challenge is how to define pay for a worker who bears the costs and still pays himself.”- Bill Mutoro-Assistant General Secretary and the Director of Digital Organising and ICT at the Transport Workers’ Union Kenya

Platform workers are advocating for a fair and transparent pay and pricing mechanism; and despite having not succeeded in attaining fair pay, there are still ways platform workers can take action against platforms that are disregarding the NTSA regulations.

“Drivers can file formal complaints with NTSA, consider legal action against platforms violating the commission cap or engage in negotiations with platforms”- Mary Ndege-Advocate of the High Court of Kenya

2. Fair Conditions

In the previous Fairwork ranking, only two out of 9 platforms were able to provide evidence of fair conditions. A representative of the Transport Workers Union shed light on the conditions associated with fair conditions.

“The industry is unregulated and therefore making it difficult for platforms to provide safety nets such as insurance and safety gear.”- Agnes Mwongera-Driver, Representative at TAWU

Additionally, platforms categorise drivers as independent contractors¹, limiting their ability to enjoy some level of benefits. To address this, driver associations and unions are raising awareness and advocating for improved working conditions for platform workers in Kenya.

3. Fair Contracts

Platforms can enhance stability and increase platform workers satisfaction by diversifying contract options depending on the market demand. Additionally, transparency and clarity in contracts along with worker involvement in contract formulation are crucial for addressing worker dissatisfaction and ensuring fair contracts.

4. Fair Management

Issues of discrimination and client bias is a challenge for platform workers on these platforms. Platforms prioritising passengers’ complaints over drivers’ appeals often leads to deactivation of drivers’ accounts on these platforms. This has contributed greatly to multi-apping as drivers strive to make steady income. Drivers need a voice in decision making-processes to address such challenges.

“Stakeholders can assist by having roundtable discussions where everyone’s say is heard, including the drivers.”-Julius Odongo-Chairperson,Organisation of Online Workers

5. Fair Representation

The constitution of Kenya guarantees freedom of association, but challenges persist in worker representation. Platform workers recognise themselves as independent contractors, however, this affects their rights. Therefore, unions are creating awareness and educating workers on the need to recognise themselves as employees. Additionally, the Ministry of Labour should review the labour laws to accommodate the dynamic gig economy.

Further, the discussion on representation for women in the platform economy shows that women are now taking up positions in the drivers groups. Platforms are also now creating options on their applications for women platform workers and women clients to increase a sense of security for both users. Additionally, women are joining their male counterparts in demonstrations and meetings to ensure they are actively involved in discussions that also affect them.

What needs to be done to improve the platform economy?

Making Regulations More Effective

To make NTSA regulations more effective, workers need to organise themselves so that they can build a strong voice to push for enforcement.

Workers should file for complaints and have coordinated and concerned efforts from stakeholders to drive policy change.Panellists suggested that workers organise themselves, submit formal complaints, and collaborate with stakeholders for policy change.

Prioritising safety for platform workers

Safety is still a major concern among platform workers, especially women. Currently women are employing coping mechanisms to ensure their safety as they wait for platforms to start actively prioritising their safety.

“Most female drivers do not work at night. Women drivers have groups where they share their rides with their colleagues who follow up on the rides to ensure safety. Women drivers also take screenshots of rides as evidence for harassment.”- Agnes*

Currently, unions are actively researching and working with driver associations to hold workshops and launch campaigns to advocate for all rights that can be afforded to them.

The stakeholder workshop shed light on the complex challenges faced by platform workers in Kenya. The insights and discussions underscore the need for ongoing dialogue and collaboration among all stakeholders, including the government, platforms, and workers, to address the challenges and foster a fair and sustainable platform economy in Kenya.

¹International Labour Organization, 2021, “Platform work and the employment relationship”

#Qhala #DigitalEconomy #Gigwork #Platformeconomy #Fairwork #DigitalTransformation #Policies #Regulations #Fairrepresentation #Faircontracts #Fairmanagement #Platformlivelihood #Africa

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Empowering Women in Africa’s Jobtech Revolution

Jobtech refers to digital platforms which connect people to work opportunities that build livelihoods. Jobtech has enormous potential to transform work possibilities and empower individuals in Africa’s developing digital landscape. However, various institutional and cultural challenges frequently obstruct women’s participation in this digital revolution. In this article, we will look at 4 structural barriers that women experience when it comes to using and benefiting from jobtech platforms in Africa and strategies to overcome these barriers.

Digital literacy

Many women in Africa may not have had previous exposure to digital technologies or may lack the necessary skills to fully engage in online work or entrepreneurship. Initiatives focusing on digital skills training, capacity building, and increasing digital literacy among women can assist in breaking down this barrier. ‘’Women in TechAfrica’’ is empowering women to engage in the digital space by providing training programs, mentorship opportunities, and tools that improve their digital literacy.

2. Cultural Norms

Traditional gender roles and stereotypes limit women’s access to certain job opportunities. More often than not, women face societal pressure to prioritize household responsibilities over career aspirations which limits their ability to engage with jobtech platforms. Cultural, social and economic factors collectively contribute to limited access to transportation as well as norms that restrict women’s movement. Consequently, this poses a major challenge in reaching physical jobs and access to digital resources. In Kenya, M-Shule is innovatively establishing safe spaces in partnership with local community centers and churches that can enable girls to access digital platforms and receive support.

3. Gender-based pay discrepancies

Gender-based pay disparities persist in the digital economy, limiting women’s earning potential and financial independence. Overcoming this barrier requires concerted efforts to promote pay equity, ensure fair compensation for women’s work, and create opportunities for career progression within the jobtech sector. Employers and policymakers must prioritize gender equality and fair remuneration practices to reduce this disparity.

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4. Accessibility and connectivity

In Sub-Saharan Africa, women are 37% less likely than men to use mobile internet, the greatest gender disparity in the world. Numerous women encounter difficulties in accessing affordable internet services and lack the required devices to effectively interact with digital platforms. To overcome this challenge and promote equal access to digital opportunities, it is crucial to invest in infrastructure development.

To fully realize the potential of jobtech in Africa, it is critical to eliminate the dynamic barriers that prevent women from participating in the digital economy. We can create an enabling environment for women to prosper in the jobtech landscape by challenging cultural conventions, boosting access to resources, promoting gender equality, enhancing digital literacy, and assuring inclusive platform development. Let us work together to tear down these barriers and empower women to grab technological opportunities and transform the future of work in Africa.

#Jobtech #Digitaleconomy #Qhala #Digitaltransformation #Innovation #Africs #SocialImpact

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Are platform workers thriving? A deep dive into Kenya’s platform economy.

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In their third year¹, researchers from Qhala Limited are implementing Fairwork in Kenya as they seek to highlight the best and worst companies in the Kenyan platform economy according to how they treat their workers. Within the last three years, this industry has experienced the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as an election year that exposed the precarious situations that workers faced. Platform workers were directly affected and experienced a significant impact on their livelihoods. With the rise of food and essential goods and fuel costs, platform workers have had to work longer hours or quit the industry altogether for it to make financial sense.

The Digital Economy Blueprint² envisages a nation where every citizen has the capability to participate and thrive in the digital economy. However, as Fairwork Kenya 2022 Report observed, Kenyan platform workers are yet to realise this vision. The following were the key findings in last year’s Report:

Fair Pay: There was insufficient evidence that workers for any of the nine platforms earn the minimum wage of KES 15,121 ($122) after costs or the living wage of KES 25,400 ($204) after work-related costs.

Fair Conditions: Only Glovo and Uber out of nine platforms could evidence policies to prevent work-related risks like offering insurance, emergency SOS buttons and safety training. Glovo also provides safety gear like helmets and reflector jackets, but not always for free. Glovo got a second point for offering compensation for workers who cannot work due to sickness, accidents, or unforeseen circumstances.

Fair Contracts: Only Bolt, Uber, Glovo and Little provide clear and transparent terms and conditions subject to Kenyan law.

Fair Management: Only Glovo, Little, and SweepSouth demonstrated effective communication channels and appeals processes, for example if workers are deactivated from the platform. But no platform could evidence having an anti-discrimination policy and clarity on how they use algorithms.

Fair Representation: Only Little and SweepSouth could evidence that they ensure freedom of association and are willing to negotiate with workers. Little went one step ahead by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Organisation of Online Drivers (OOD).

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The researchers from Qhala are back at it this year! In the previous years, they rated 9 platforms. In 2023, they have increased the number of platforms to 12. These are: Bolt, Bolt Food, Faras, Glovo, In Drive, Jumia Food, Little Delivery, Little Ride, Uber Kenya, Uber Eats, Wasili, and Yego. These platforms are being evaluated against the five principles of Fairwork, with the overall goal of this exercise being to shape a future of work made up of better and fairer jobs. With the Report Launch set for September 2023, and with 120 platform workers interviewed and evidence from the platforms trickling in, some themes have already started taking shape, namely: The high cost of living, the reality of women platform workers, and the role of collective workers’ union in the industry. The Report will also seek to answer whether indeed — as the Kenyan government hopes to be the case — platform workers are thriving in Kenya’s flourishing digital economy.

As we await the Report, we are also seeking to engage with organisations, whether current or potential users of platform labour, that would like to demonstrate their public commitment to fairer platform work.

Organisations like universities, schools, businesses, and charities can make a difference by committing to use fairer platforms guided by our Fairwork principles and ratings.

Local governments and administrations can support fairer platform work by introducing meaningful regulation that encourages minimum standards for platforms operating in their areas, or which are eligible for public funding.

Socially responsible investors or rating agencies can help improve the working conditions of gig workers by making sure that they, or their clients, invest only in those platforms that offer better labour standards.

There may be further ways for you to support our efforts to contribute to a fairer future of platform work, demonstrate this support to the wider public, and create meaningful change that we can explore together!

Interested? Fill out this form to sign up as a partner or supporter. It takes 1 minute! https://fair.work/en/fw/join-the-pledge/