(3 Minutes Read)
The barriers created by the digitalisation of social protection make it more difficult for many informal sectors and marginalised workers to access the support they’re entitled to
Social protection systems in some African countries are being digitised. This makes it possible to apply for and receive payments online or directly to your phone.
This overcomes the inefficiencies of travelling long distances to and queuing at government offices or banks. It addresses the endless forms and long waits for payments. Digital social protection systems offer the benefits of 24/7 access that can be quicker and more convenient for many. This change has been brought about because of the increased penetration of smartphones.
According to mobile industry figures in sub-Saharan Africa, only 51% of the population owns a smartphone. Less than a third have internet access. The barriers created by the digitalisation of social protection make it more difficult for many informal sectors and marginalised workers to access the support they’re entitled to. These barriers are not owning a smartphone; not having an internet connection and living with disabilities not catered for by technology.
A study was conducted in 2023 through surveys and focus groups on domestic, disabled, migrant, and home-based workers in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
The study found that the drivers of digitalisation were senior managers looking to increase cost efficiencies and controls, coupled with the enthusiasm of development donors. These donors include World Bank and MasterCard (who fund digital social protection schemes), and IT and financial service companies.
Foreign companies, development agencies, and corporations drive the social protection state’s digitalisation. These are aimed at securing cost efficiencies, curtailing corruption, and linking social protection to other digital governance systems.
In the seven countries we studied, millions of workers live in areas outside of the 4G cellular network that supports mobile access to digital social protection systems. This makes it impossible for these workers to register or receive payments online. Poor internet coverage, power cuts, and signal problems were a big issue. But for many, the costs of smartphones and data were the biggest barrier.
Some workers aren’t aware of their rights or how to get what they are entitled to. Some people surveyed didn’t know how to use it to register for social insurance.
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Some workers didn’t have the range of language, digital, and financial literacy abilities necessary to use social protection schemes. The language barrier was another problem faced by the people surveyed.
