WhatsApp in Africa

A force for good, or digital colonialism?

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In this edition, we’re talking WhatsApp. Specifically, the popularity of WhatsApp in Africa, and the credibility it has as a communications tool.

The Economist reported this week that WhatsApp was used by “propaganda secretaries” in the run-up to the Nigerian presidential elections.

Similar stories surfaced in Kenya and Sierra Leone during their respective elections, too.

On Tuesday, operating system KaiOS announced that WhatsApp access will soon come to millions more phones in Africa. The app will work on “smart feature” phones that run on 512MB and 256MB RAM, including the popular Nokia 8110.

That combination creates the potential for further misuse, if the current behavioural patterns continue.

At such a pivotal moment in Facebook’s short history, WhatsApp provides clues on where the social media giant will go next.

Recent events in Africa are particularly illuminating and may have repercussions for the global digital economy.

This week’s hard-hitting feature story will cover:

• WhatsApp’s dominance across Africa, in numbers.