Digital Capital In South Africa

Digital capital can generally be classified in 2 different categories, physical capital such as hardware, servers, computers etc. and nonphysical capital such as content and information that is created and generated digitally. The 2nd category of digital capital is what will be focused on in this post.

Who creates and generates the majority of the digital capital that is produced in South Africa? Well the answer is fairly simple. The South African tech and information technology industry is dominated by white males from previously advantaged backgrounds.

This then begs the question well then what type of digital capital and content is being generated by these individuals? Content that is created generally reflects the mindset, lived experiences, background and history of the creator and the creation of digital capital in South Africa is no exception to this rule.

Yet in a country so diverse as South Africa is the content that is created here a true reflection of the narratives of the people of this country? Well, no. A large portion of citizens do not and will never have the opportunity to let their narratives be known, to create content and capital that is reflective of them and their backgrounds and this simply put is a problem. Why should a country’s narrative, content and digital capital only reflect a single small group of its citizens?

The government of South Africa should realize the danger of having South Africa’s digital capital drowned out by singular viewpoints. Government initiatives can be created to promote the creation of South African digital capital by many numerous creators from various walks of life and backgrounds. This will allow for South Africa’s digital capital to be more reflective of South Africa as a whole.