If we begin with the idea that African societies themselves are mobile, it is not a real surprise that mobile communications technologies have been easily adopted. The question is not if Africans can afford a telephone, but why everyone does not have one. Communication is of crucial importance in societies whose livelihoods depend on the exploitation of various niches and spaces. Mobile telephony was introduced in Africa at the end of the last century following the liberalization of the telecommunications market. Its reach gradually spread from urban to rural areas and is now reaching the most remote areas.
One of my areas of focus has been the “revolutionary” decade of the entrance of mobile telephony into the more isolated regions of Cameroon, Chad, and Mali. Through our research, which is qualitative-based and deeply ethnographic, we followed people and society in their appropriation of the then-new technology over a period of ten years (2001-2011). The dynamics we observed reveal a story of changing power hierarchies and increasing geographic mobility that reshape the socioeconomic fabric in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The introduction of a new technology never comes on its own. A technology, such as mobile telephones, is surrounded by new regimes, institutions, and cultural aspects. The arrival of telephone companies did not only bring new forms of communication, but also new forms of business and advertising. It has literally changed the landscape of African cities. This influence extended, as the companies funded sport and art events, and invested in programs for the development of youth in Africa. Such measures have the potential to influence political and social dynamics.
On another level, power relations have changed because of the possibilities that the mobile economy offered. In villages, the old métier of messenger was transformed into a phone booth owner, where individuals can come to use the owner’s mobile phone and service for a fee. The booth owner, or the villager who first discovered the mobile signal, became important for communication. Around these booths, small shops appeared and information flows were created and controlled. These messengers are exemplary for how new power positions are derived from mobile technology. Other examples of changing power positions due to the growth of rapid mobile technology include women who are earning a living in the phone booth business, or students who can pay for their studies with the several small jobs they find in the phone sector. This job market, however, fluctuates with the technology. For instance, phone booths are losing their significance with the advancement of transfer and payment methods, which has been growing in Sub-Saharan Africa.
A general conclusion is that, due to new information and communication technologies (ICTs) and the mobile phone in particular, transnational societies have become more closely knit, that is they are able to remain in touch over long distances. This is not only done through voice communication, but also by sending pictures, films, and reports about important events. Rituals such as these gain a new meaning in this transnational context and reinforce group boundaries that can cover wide stretches of the world. A clear case is the economic transnational communities between South Africa, the Netherlands and Cameroon. Another example is the refugee communities in Cameroon, who are in contact with their family and group members in the Central African Republic, Chad, or other countries of origin. Such new ties are also redefining the linkages between pastoral nomads, who were dispersed during the droughts of the past decades. Compared to the older forms of communication—letters, travelling people, and radio messages—the new forms show immediacy and closeness, reinforcing social bonds.
What is the future of mobile communication? The technology evolves: mobile phones have become small computers. Information flows are becoming more intensive and immediate. One of the big challenges for the coming decade is to understand what these information flows will do to societies that have been exempt of such free ‘wisdom’ for many years by the authoritarian regimes of which they are part. Another question is raised when considering how the transnational communities that have remained united through mobile technology will play a role in knowledge production and empowerment in the coming decades.
