The Influence of Telecentres on the Economic Empowerment of the Youth in Disadvantaged Communities of South Africa

Booi, Samkelo Lutho; Chigona, Wallace; Maliwichi, Priscilla; Kunene, Khaya

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-18400-1_13

Cited by 6 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…To realize their educational goal, this is the reason why a large number of students opts to patronize the telecentres for library services as they do have the opportunity to borrow books, access audio-visual learning materials, complete school assignments and access other resources that could be supportive to their educational goals. The findings are in agreement with Booi, Chigona, Maliwichi and Kunene, (2019) who reported that telecentres in South Africa were fully packed with children from primary and secondary schools on weekends and in the afternoon of weekdays to obtain school materials and use library books and other resources. Telecentre library services, provide users with materials that improve their knowledge and academic achievement (Kapondera & Namusanya, 2017).…”

Section: Limited Space Within Telecentressupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Previous studies revealed that telecentres act as centres where people are equipped with ICT skills and knowledge through the provision of computer lessons and digital literacy skills that prepares users for job opportunities (Attwood et al, 2013; Kapondera & Namusanya, 2017). According to Booi et al (2019), youth in underprivileged communities could not manage to pay for ICT training, therefore free training sessions offered by the telecentres would be beneficial. The telecentres play an important role in promoting digital citizenship in poor populations through ICT training that is provided in rural areas (Breitenbach, 2013).…”

Section: Discussion Of the Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to Booi et al (2019), youth in underprivileged communities could not manage to pay for ICT training, therefore free training sessions offered by the telecentres would be beneficial. The telecentres play an important role in promoting digital citizenship in poor populations through ICT training that is provided in rural areas (Breitenbach, 2013).…”

Section: Limited Space Within Telecentresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Communities are significantly impacted by the computers and ICT resources accessible in telecentres. These resources, improve information access, offer entertainment alternatives, encourage information sharing, boost job search efforts, and enable online businesses (Alao et al, 2017; Booi et al, 2019; Chege et al, 2019). A study conducted by Chigona et al (2016) reported that most of people in Tanzania and South Africa, frame the telecentres as the place for photocopying their documents.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One significant barrier was the distance they had to travel to get to these facilities, which frequently made it impracticable or expensive for them to visit. Long distances and lack of transportation alternatives greatly restrict how poor people could easily reach and use telecentres, making it difficult for them to obtain important information and that could enhance their social and economic growth (Booi et al, 2019; Chigona et al, 2011; Chikumba, 2011). Inadequate funding is a serious issue that negatively impacts the sustainability of telecentres (Gcora et al, 2015).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Why do people use telecentres in the age of mobile technologies? Answers from Malawi

Kapondera,

Mtambo

2023

E J Info Sys Dev Countries

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Telecentres provide access to Information and Communication Technonology (ICT) services to disadvantaged communities. With the coming of mobile technologies such as smartphones, some services that telecentres provide such as internet can easily be accessed through mobile technologies. This, therefore, questions the relevance of telecentres in the age of mobile technologies. Two main questions exist: are telecentres still relevant? If yes, why do people still use telecentres in the age of mobile technologies? This paper aims at answering these questions. It also discusses the challenges that users face in using telecentres. Qualitative data were collected from telecentre users and managers of two telecentres in Malawi through focus groups and interviews. Gioia methodology was used to analyze the data. The study reveals four main reasons why people still patronize telecentres: (i) to socialize with fellow users; and (ii) that it is cheaper to access services in the telecentre as compared to using smartphones for the same services; (iii) telecentres provide services compatible with users' needs such as library services and computers; (iv) and to attain ICT skills some of which are applied in using smartphones. However, users face numerous challenges such as limited space within telecentres and unreliable power. The study is valuable as it provides insights into why governments should continue investing in telecentres. It also comes at a right time when the government of Malawi plans to abandon the community telecentre model to adopt the school managed model that may limit the number of users thereby limiting the benefits of telecentres in the presence of mobile technologies.

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Section: Limited Space Within Telecentressupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Discussion Of the Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Limited Space Within Telecentresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Why do people use telecentres in the age of mobile technologies? Answers from Malawi

Kapondera,

Mtambo

2023

E J Info Sys Dev Countries

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Investigating ICT skills as enablers for sustainable youth employability in South Africa: A literature review

Ohei,

Evangelos Mantzaris

2023

IJRBS

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The progress and sustainability of a nation's economy are attributed to its human capital, and a country lacking competent, knowledgeable, and productive manpower will struggle to thrive due to a dearth of talented individuals in the job market. To enhance the quality of skilled manpower in industries, the South African government is promoting digital literacy among its youth. This research aims to investigate the use of ICTs skills and competencies as an enabler for promoting sustainable advancement of youth employability in South Africa, as the country's youth unemployment rate for the 15-34 age group was 55.2% in the 1st quarter of 2019. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) era has exacerbated job scarcity and inequality due to the scarcity of advanced ICT skills. As a result, South Africa has chosen to increase ICT usage to enhance economic activity and job creation. A critical literature review was conducted to support the research inquiry through a systematic literature review (SLR) as the research methodology since the contents are based on existing literature studies in identifying research needs and gaps, collecting or gathering lines of thoughts Memon et al. (2020) and views in relation to ICT skills and competences as an enabler for sustainable advancement of youth employability in South Africa. The approach was supported using the Sustainable Livelihood Theory as the research framework to support the findings.

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Radio, mobile communications, and women’s empowerment: Experiences in Mathare, Nairobi

Githaiga

2022

Afr. j. inf. commun. (Online)

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This article presents findings from a study of young women’s empowerment through the use of information and communication technology (ICT), specifically the use of radio and mobile communications, in the Mathare informal settlements of Nairobi. Data was collected through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with young women. The findings were extrapolated through the lens of Longwe’s five- stage women’s empowerment framework (Longwe, 1991). Longwe posits that the empowerment of women can be viewed through a prism of ascension, the initial stage being welfare, followed by access, conscientisation, participation, and then control, the highest level of empowerment. The study finds that the use of radio and mobile communications has empowered many young women to engage in conversations on issues affecting them, and with useful information on how to improve their means of livelihood. At the same time, mobile communications have enabled many young women to achieve financial inclusion by engaging in income-generating activities. In addition, mobile communications have empowered young women by providing them with access to financial services and the ability to manage their finances. Such empowerment, when viewed through the Longwe (1991) framework, is a remarkable progression on empowerment by young women through the initial stages up to the highest levels of participation and control. At the same time, the study finds that the empowerment of young women through ICTs is held back to some extent by socioeconomic and cultural factors that are the result of patriarchal traditions and mindsets.

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The Influence of Telecentres on the Economic Empowerment of the Youth in Disadvantaged Communities of South Africa

Cited by 6 publications

References 23 publications

Why do people use telecentres in the age of mobile technologies? Answers from Malawi

Why do people use telecentres in the age of mobile technologies? Answers from Malawi

Investigating ICT skills as enablers for sustainable youth employability in South Africa: A literature review

Radio, mobile communications, and women’s empowerment: Experiences in Mathare, Nairobi

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