Analysis of stakeholders involved in digitization processes in Sub-Saharan Africa through the cases of Bissau and Dar es Salaam

Abstract

This paper shows the results of a part of the literature work of a larger, comparative ethnographic study on the use, perceptions and attitudes towards digitalisation processes in two cases of se lected urban areas: Dar es Salaam and Bissau, within the project results of the R&D&I project, entitled “Digital transition, social cohesion and gender equality: mobile banking and female digital empowerment in Africa” (DIGITALFEM), with reference TED2021- 130586B-I00 (Call 2021, Ecological and Digital Transition Projects), with fi nancial support from MCIN/AEI/10. 13039/501100011033 (Ministry of Innovation and Science and National Research Agen cy) and “European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR”. The results show the diff erent actors and positions regarding women and digitisation and allow to understand the relationships between those involved in these processes. Specifi cally, a sociogram has been carried out through the analysis of secondary sources in the two urban contexts studied by the project: Bissau in Guinea Bis sau and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Among the main actors were: government agencies of the coun tries themselves, but also foreign agencies, African regional organisations, United Nations agencies, academic organisations, the World Bank, private telephone and banking companies, and to a lesser extent, and almost residually, associations and civil soci ety organisations. The relations between them, analysed through the discourses collected in the secondary sources found, are dif ferent not only according to the actors but also according to the contexts analysed.