Hopes and Realities of the Digital

Abstract Big hopes about African development are pinned on the digital economy activities, ranging from employment generation to reduction of poverty and inequality. In the context of widespread joblessness on the continent, young African workers—who are often highly educated—are turning to the new job opportunities (e.g. artificial intelligence and machine learning, call centre work, a range of gig work) presented by an emerging information-based economy not necessarily out of choice but necessity. Therefore, the core question of the book is as follows. How are these new digital economy activities influencing African workers’ lives and livelihoods? This chapter outlines the book’s theoretical and conceptual scope, the geographical context of the research behind it, its key contributions, and core arguments.