Framing the digital complexity economy

This keynote paper discusses the opportunities and barriers to real economic growth through e-transformation in African economies. Understanding the answer to this question is dependent on how we interpret the question and on where the opportunities for economic growth lie. Interpreting the question: Two decades ago, researchers studied the globalization of the world economy; then they studied mobility and the mobile communications economy. We also study the broadband Internet economy, wireless nomadic access and a few scholars study the cyber economy, including cloud computing and its associated risks, security and contracting issues. Furthermore, we have also studied the knowledge and innovation economies. For countries on the African continent (and other continents), it would be appropriate to study the complexity economy - the interconnected facets of globalization; knowledge, innovation and learning; mobile, wireless and broadband communications; and the shift from relatively simple and basic forms of e-commerce and e-government to the complex e-transformation of all sectors of the economy, from agriculture to manufacturing and knowledge services. I have termed the abstraction of these interconnected thematic areas and perspectives the “complexity economy”, meaning that scholars and practitioners need to give attention to theorizing such an economy with respect to the African continent. Where are the opportunities? If the digital information economy of apps, OTT services, mobile money and broadband Internet can change the economy, it will. But where and how do African economies need to change in the next five to ten years? We will need to the link this discussion to an understanding of what proportion of the economic and social actors on the continent can access the information economy? While mobile access has increased dramatically, too few of the nearly 1 billion population of Africa has Internet access, or broadband Internet access, or mobile broadband Internet access, to drive economic growth in most countries on the continent. Too few e-services and m-services are available in key sectors of the economy such as banking and finance, travel and tourism, education and health. When these sectors undergo e-transformation, the information economy can begin to drive economic growth. In addition to discussing these key challenges, the paper will present a brief overview of Cyberspace and the Internet in Africa, with particular reference to selected countries in North, West, Central, East and Southern Africa, commenting on the issues pertinent to decision-makers, academics and innovators in the complex digital information economy.