‘There is No Future in it’:Pandemic and ride hailing hustle in Africa

This article examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ride-hailing drivers in Africa. It argues that though ride-hailing offers paid-work to some African workers, the commodified and informalised nature of this work results in poor job quality. The effects of which are greatly amplified during the pandemic. Drawing on a mixed methods approach: in-depth interviews with ride-hailing drivers in Nairobi and digital ethnography, it also provides a narrative of 'hustle' to outline strategies of resilience, reworking, and resistance among informal workers. It concludes by highlighting the need for adequate regulatory frameworks and on-the-ground solidarity networks to ensure decent working conditions and to push back against precarity in the gig economy.</p

Algorithmic Suturing: Platforms, Motorcycles and the ‘Last Mile’ in Urban Africa

The ‘last mile’ is not only a powerful metaphor of contemporary life, but also thetangible site of a challenge, whether for governments wanting to reach their citizens orcompanies wanting to reach their customers. In urban Africa this challenge is compoundedby the fragmented material condition of cities. As a result, a growing number of techcompanies have been compelled by the possibility of creating digital platforms thataddress the unique logistical configurations of African cities, often enrolling informalsystems such as motorcycle taxis to address spatial and economic fragmentation. Throughthe perspective of three Nairobi-based startups that incorporate motorcycle taxis intotheir last-mile platforms, this article illustrates how processes of ‘algorithmic suturing’knit together the loose ends of splintered urban networks thanks to platform businessmodels that visualize the last mile as a site of optimization. In parallel with commonunderstandings of suturing within African infrastructure debates which foregroundmakeshift practices of the urban poor, this article argues that algorithmic suturing is aspeculative endeavour through which urban fractures are made legible as sites of value.By stitching together city fragments, these platforms envision large data-driven urbaneconomies which interface with informal mobility networks and the shifting urbandemographic of the lower-middle class

Platform Politics and Silicon Savannahs: Fintech and the platformed motorcycle: speculating on ordinary mobility economies in urban Africa

Despite the economic challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, venture capital (VC) investments in African startups have remained resilient, surpassing $5 billion in 2021 and experiencing a staggering 264% growth compared to the previous year. Notably, more than 60% of these investments were directed towards fintech companies. The surge in fintech investments in Africa is driven by several factors that make the continent an attractive market. Africa still has a large unbanked population, presenting an opportunity for financial services that offer alternatives to traditional banking methods. The rise of mobile money and cryptocurrencies has brought accessible financial solutions to individuals and informal businesses without access to traditional banking systems. Furthermore, Africa has emerged as a significant market for cryptocurrency trading, providing alternative options in volatile monetary climates and facilitating cross-border transactions. The report draws on empirical research in three case-study cities – Cape Town (South Africa), Kigali (Rwanda), and Nairobi (Kenya) – to showcase some important trends at the interface of fintech and the platformisation of motorcycle economies in urban Africa. It builds on the insight that fintech is not ‘just’ facilitated by digital platforms, but it deploys the same business logics of intermediation and, in doing so, is often part of platformisation itself (Langley and Leyshon, 2021). More specifically, the report shows the importance of the financial-inclusion thrust in linking fintech to two-wheel paratransit, as well as the multiple ways in which digital platforms create new financial pathways in rapport to the physical commodity of the motorcycle; the crucial importance of payment gateways as infrastructures of additional data-driven financial innovation; the promises of risk-management through data and the pilot-based experimental practices through which these promises are given effect; and linkages to the decarbonisation of mobility systems in African cities. For each of these points, the report highlights key policy implications that will require careful attention by researchers, regulators, and private actors in the field

Effect of Ease of Access to Information on Technology Usability on Household Food Security among Smallholder Farmers in Bungoma North Sub-County, Kenya

Smallholder farming is the livelihood of a large proportion of the population in developing countries, and agricultural innovations have the potential of enhancing productivity. In Sub-Saharan Africa, maize is a major staple; however, farmers experience heavy losses in post-harvest operations, especially storage. Hermetic storage technologies can preserve grain in quality and quantity, thus ensuring food availability while maintaining their exchange value. Extracting benefits from technology is premised on their adoption and use by farmers. Technology adoption is a process that starts with the diffusion of information about the existence of innovation. The study examined the effect of ease of access to information on technology usability on household food security in Bungoma North Sub-County, in Kenya. This study employed a cross-sectional design, where 394 households were sampled from across all the six locations of Bungoma North Sub County and questionnaires administered. From the factor analysis, household food security was loaded onto two components: food availability and food consumption, while ease of access to information on technology usability was loaded onto one component. Simple linear regression was used to estimate the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variables. Ease of access to information on technology usability had a positive and significant effect on both food availability and food consumption. This study is important in strategizing for productivity enhancement among smallholder farmers and recommends increased awareness on the availability of agricultural technologies

Effect of Ease of Access to Information on TECHNOLOGY Usability on Household Food Security Among Smallholder Farmers in Bungoma North Sub-County, Kenya

Smallholder farming is the livelihood of a large proportion of the population in developing countries, and agricultural innovations have the potential of enhancing productivity. In Sub-Saharan Africa, maize is a major staple; however, farmers experience heavy losses in post-harvest operations, especially storage. Hermetic storage technologies can preserve grain in quality and quantity, thus ensuring food availability while maintaining their exchange value. Extracting benefits from technology is premised on their adoption and use by farmers. Technology adoption is a process that starts with the diffusion of information about the existence of innovation. The study examined the effect of ease of access to information on technology usability on household food security in Bungoma North Sub-County, in Kenya. This study employed a cross-sectional design, where 394 households were sampled from across all the six locations of Bungoma North Sub County and questionnaires administered. From the factor analysis, household food security was loaded onto two components: food availability and food consumption, while ease of access to information on technology usability was loaded onto one component. Simple linear regression was used to estimate the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variables. Ease of access to information on technology usability had a positive and significant effect on both food availability and food consumption. This study is important in strategizing for productivity enhancement among smallholder farmers and recommends increased awareness on the availability of agricultural technologies