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African jobs in the digital era: Export options with a focus on online labour

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  • Melia, Elvis

Abstract

This study asks what impact the Fourth Industrial Revolution will have on job creation and catchup development in Sub-Saharan Africa over the coming decade. Can light manufacturing export sectors still serve African development the way they served East Asian development in the past? If factory floor automation reduces the need for low-cost labour in global value chains, can IT-enabled services exports become an alternative driver of African catch-up development? I present case study evidence from Kenya to show that online freelancing has become an interesting sector, both in terms of its growth trajectory, and in terms of worker upward mobility in the global knowledge economy. As life everywhere moves further into the digital realm, and global internet connectivity between Africa and the rest of the world grows, more and more young Africans who stream onto the labour market may find work in the world of global online freelancing. I discuss the building blocks needed to make online work a sustainable vehicle for African catch-up development in the years ahead.

Suggested Citation

  • Melia, Elvis, 2020. "African jobs in the digital era: Export options with a focus on online labour," IDOS Discussion Papers 3/2020, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:diedps:32020
    DOI: 10.23661/dp3.2020
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    2. Solomon, Edna Maeyen & van Klyton, Aaron, 2020. "The impact of digital technology usage on economic growth in Africa," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    3. Nwaobi, Godwin, 2024. "Gig Sector in the African Economy: Frameworks, Challenges and Prospects," MPRA Paper 120532, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Stéphane Mbiankeu Nguea & Hervé Kaffo Fotio & Louise Angèle Baida, 2022. "Investigating the effects of globalization on economic sophistication in selected African countries," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 34(3), pages 324-338, September.
    5. Marcus M. Larsen & Ben Mkalama & Michael J. Mol, 2023. "Outsourcing in Africa: How do the interactions between providers, multinationals, and the state lead to the evolution of the BPO industry?," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 6(4), pages 432-452, December.

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