Strategic Use of Communications Technology in Africa

Over the past 3-4 days, I've come across some interesting information about technology and missions. I thought it was worth passing on as food for thought about missional strategies for the next decade, particularly for Sub-Saharan Africa where I serve.

In something I was reading, probably Brigada Today, I read a blurb about how quickly the mobile communications scene is changing around the world and especially in Africa. The point of the article was not to inform us of that fact but to say that the church and particularly missionaries are behind in recognizing the potential of this explosion of mobile access as it relates to evangelism, discipleship, and personal spiritual growth for, as some have termed him, the common man.

Following some links in the article and then others referenced along the way, I found some interesting information. Here are a few of the links:

• Mobile phones and other devices: The potential for evangelism
• Technology, Rising Middle Class, and the Future of Evangelism in Africa
• African Undersea Cables
  

The first article, Mobile phones and other devices..., talks primarily about how pervasive mobile communications are and gives some ideas for utilizing the technology to reach the unreached and to get discipleship materials to the reached. I realize that developing materials for the internet or for mobile devices is not likely part of the skill set that missionary personnel have. If you work under a sending/support agency, that agency may have personnel who could help with the development of this kind of technology. If not, there are likely individuals in churches with whom you partner (or could partner) who would jump on this like a tick on a hound dog.

The second article, Technology, Rising Middle Class, and the Future of Evangelism in Africa, speaks more specifically to the growth of mobile technology in Africa. The author begins with these provocative statements (provocative to those of us who have served in Africa for any length of time):

It used to be that Missionaries from the West traversed Africa for decades preaching the gospel through rough terrain in what was once considered the “Dark Continent”. Yet things are dramatically changing at a very fast pace that in just the next five to 10 years, the western old missionary model will totally be absolute [I think he meant obsolete] if it’s not dead already.

Mobile Phone Phenomenon in Africa…

Telecommunication Technology is a fast growing sector in Africa and has been greatly underestimated by many missionaries and African Christian leaders, largely out of procrastination and relying on old technologies that Gospel ministers find ‘convenient’ such as Radio and TV.

How pervasive is information technology in Africa? Did you know that there are more than 300 million subscribers to mobile phone services -- more than in either the US or the UK? That is expected to soar to more than 700 million subscribers by 2014. BBC is already taking advantage of that by offering news updates via cell phone.

Did you know that Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa experienced the highest net additions of internet users in Africa between 2000 and 2008? I have questions about the figure for Nigeria -- the chart label says 10.9 million net growth but the axis labels and the bar itself look more like it should be 3.9 million.

Did you know that in 2009 in East Africa alone, there were over US$4 billion transacted via mobile phones?

That's a lot of folks using technology

The third link, African Undersea Cables, is to a graphic on underseas fibre optic cables servicing Africa. There are at least nine cables that have been laid under the ocean off the coasts of Africa -- five in the Atlantic Ocean and four in the Indian Ocean, a total of 72,700 km of undersea cables laid (or being laid) at a cost of more than US$2,005,000,000.00. Of those nine cables, three were already active by 2009, two were scheduled to go active in the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2009, two are scheduled to go active in the 2nd and 4th quarters of 2010, and the last two are scheduled to go active in 2011. The list of financial backers has some interesting inclusions: a foundation or business founded by the Prince Karim Aga Khan IV of Pakistan appears to own 75% of one of the longest and most expensive lines that appears, from the graphic, to originate in the UAE; a coalition of the Kenya government and various firms that own/operate ISP's in East Africa owns 85% of another that also appears to originate in the UAE and Etisalaat of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) owns the balance. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but there's a huge potential for influence from the Middle East using these communications links.

Kenya has been quickly laying fibre optic cable all over the country to tap into these undersea cables. In fact, about two weeks ago, contractors for one of the Nairobi (KE) ISP's (and an investor in the TEAMs undersea cables) ran a fibre optic cable into the compound where I live and terminated it less than 100 metres from my front door. It's supposed to go live sometime in March or April 2010. (Personally, we're hoping this means faster, more reliable, and less expensive internet access for us.)

Interesting stuff. Anyway, the point is that there is a major cultural shift going on. We have seen that -- Maasai in the middle of nowhere, phoning around to various cattle markets to find where cows are being sold for the highest price; the ubiquitousness of cell phones (it seems that everybody in Kenya has one); a surge of Kenyans using Facebook; African churches and institutions using e-mail to connect with people overseas. The first two articles argue that the Christian community -- churches and missionaries -- needs to make an intentional effort to take advantage of the cultural change, the growth in this technology.

Nothing will ever replace an incarnational presence of believers among lost people. But, like many of our strategic activities, the use of technology can supplement and extend our influence. Mivule ends the second article, Technology, Rising Middle Class, and the Future of Evangelism in Africa, with these conclusions:

The Western capitalistic lifestyle and middle class consumerism combined with technological advancement have taken Africa like a flood. So, rather than ignore such developments, or demonize them, Gospel Ministers had better utilize such technological developments to preach the Gospel.

Western missionaries ought to understand that they are no longer dealing with an ignorant population, or a group of Africans in the Dark Continent. Rather they are dealing with folks in Africa, highly educated, with access to Google, FaceBook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Therefore the preaching of the Gospel in Africa no longer provides leverage to the Missionaries from the West to be exploitative but rather accountable; leverage is rather granted to the African Christian and the trend will not stop but continue.

These two significant changes of a robust young educated population and Technology during the last decade will totally impact the way the Gospel is being preached in Africa; it will totally change the way African Christians are viewed as technology now provides an equal playing field and no longer do Western Christians have the unquestionable ‘say’ without accountability when it comes to Evangelism, Sound Bible Doctrine, Bible Prophecy, etc in Africa.

How do you plan to use information technology in the next decade to further the spread of the Gospel where you live?

Feel free to link to this blog post or copy it to others if it would help stimulate their thinking.

For the Kingdom,
Bob A