THE NEW DIGITAL INEQUALITY: PRODUCERS, CONSUMERS AND THE EXCLUDED. 

The world is becoming more connected, but are the economic benefits of technology reaching everyone?

The digital revolution promised to make the world more equal.

A person with a smartphone could access information previously available only in universities, research institutions and major libraries. A small business could reach international customers without opening offices in foreign countries. An independent journalist could publish to a global audience without owning a television station or newspaper.

Artificial intelligence has taken this transformation further.

Individuals can now access tools capable of analysing information, generating content, translating languages, supporting research and automating certain professional tasks.

But beneath this apparent democratisation of technology lies a more complicated reality.

Not everyone participates in the digital economy in the same way.

Some people own the platforms, develop the software, manufacture the hardware and control the infrastructure. Others use these systems to earn income, build businesses and create products. Millions more are primarily consumers of digital services. And many remain excluded because they lack reliable electricity, affordable connectivity, digital skills, financial resources or access to appropriate technology.

A new form of economic inequality is emerging.

It is not simply the difference between people who own smartphones and those who do not.

It is the difference between those who own productive digital assets, those who can use technology to generate income, those who pay to access it and those who are increasingly left outside the system.

The world may be becoming digitally connected without becoming economically equal.

THE THREE ECONOMIC CLASSES OF THE DIGITAL AGE

The digital economy can be examined through three broad categories.

A. THE PRODUCERS — Those Who Build and Own the Digital Economy

These include:

• Semiconductor manufacturers.

• AI developers and technology companies.

• Cloud infrastructure providers.

• Software developers.

• Telecommunications companies.

• Digital platform owners.

• Data-centre operators.

• Robotics and automation manufacturers.

• Owners of intellectual property and digital infrastructure.

They create, own or control important parts of the systems on which the digital economy operates.

Their economic advantage comes not only from producing goods and services but also from owning assets that can generate recurring revenue.

A software company can sell subscriptions to millions of customers. A cloud provider can supply computing infrastructure to thousands of businesses. An AI developer can license access to a model across multiple industries.

The producer may earn revenue every time another business or individual uses its technology.

B. THE CONSUMERS — Those Who Use and Pay for Digital Services

This group includes individuals, households, businesses and institutions that depend on technology.

They purchase smartphones, subscribe to software, use AI platforms, access digital marketplaces and pay for cloud services.

Consumers benefit enormously from technological progress.

However, using technology is not the same as owning it.

A small business may depend on an online marketplace without controlling its algorithms, customer access or transaction fees. A content creator may build an audience on a social platform without owning the distribution system. A professional may depend on an AI service without controlling the underlying model.

Consumers can gain productivity and convenience while remaining economically dependent on external providers.

C. THE EXCLUDED — Those Who Cannot Participate Fully

This category is often overlooked.

It includes people and communities without reliable electricity, affordable internet, suitable devices, digital literacy, accessible financial services or relevant language support.

It also includes people who are technically connected but lack the skills, capital or opportunities to turn digital access into economic advancement.

The excluded are not necessarily disconnected from the internet.

Some are connected but unable to participate meaningfully in the productive digital economy.

This distinction is essential.

A person can spend several hours online every day and still have little access to digital employment, business ownership, education or technological decision-making.

THE CONNECTIVITY ILLUSION: DOES INTERNET ACCESS MEAN ECONOMIC INCLUSION?

Governments frequently measure digital development through internet penetration, smartphone ownership and network coverage.

These indicators matter, but they do not tell the entire story.

Consider two people with smartphones and internet access.

The first uses technology to operate an online business, manage international customers, develop software and generate income.

The second uses the internet mainly for entertainment, social media and communication, with limited access to economic opportunities.

Both are connected.

But their economic positions are different.

Digital inclusion must therefore be measured through more than connectivity.

It should include:

• Access to affordable and reliable infrastructure.

• Quality of digital education.

• Ability to generate income through technology.

• Access to financial services and digital markets.

• Ability to own or control productive digital assets.

• Protection of personal data and digital rights.

• Opportunities to develop technological skills.

• Participation in decisions governing digital infrastructure.

The central question is:

Are governments creating digitally connected populations, or economically empowered digital citizens?

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: THE NEW DIVIDE BETWEEN USERS AND OWNERS

AI is lowering the cost of performing certain intellectual and administrative tasks.

A small business can use AI for marketing, customer support, research, translation and basic financial analysis.

Students can access personalised explanations. Journalists can analyse large documents. Developers can accelerate parts of software production.

These are important opportunities.

However, the AI economy has its own ownership structure.

A relatively small group of companies controls significant portions of advanced computing infrastructure, proprietary AI models, cloud platforms and specialised semiconductor technologies.

Millions of people may use these systems without owning the underlying assets.

This creates a distinction between:

AI owners: Those who control models, computing infrastructure, intellectual property and commercial platforms.

AI developers and producers: Those who build applications, train systems, develop specialised services and create new products.

AI-enabled workers and entrepreneurs: Those who use AI to increase productivity and generate income.

AI consumers: Those who primarily purchase or use AI-powered services.

AI-excluded populations: Those without sufficient access, affordability, skills or institutional support.

These categories overlap, but they reveal an important economic divide.

The future may reward people who know how to use AI productively, while concentrating significant recurring revenue among those who own the infrastructure.

The issue is not whether everybody should become an AI developer.

It is whether ordinary people can use AI to improve their economic position rather than becoming permanently dependent consumers of systems owned elsewhere.

THE NEW DIGITAL WORKING CLASS: WHO CREATES VALUE AND WHO COLLECTS THE PROFITS?

The digital economy depends on human labour more than its automated image sometimes suggests.

Behind the apparent convenience of digital services are people who:

• Label and review data.

• Moderate online content.

• Maintain digital infrastructure.

• Manufacture electronic components.

• Deliver goods ordered through platforms.

• Produce online content.

• Provide customer support.

• Train and evaluate AI systems.

• Perform remote professional services.

Some of these workers are highly paid specialists. Others work in insecure, poorly paid or informal conditions.

Platform economies have also created new forms of employment.

Drivers, delivery workers, online freelancers, content creators and digital service providers may depend on algorithms to obtain customers and earn income.

But who determines their visibility, pricing and access to work?

A platform can change its commission structure or ranking system. A freelancer can lose access to customers when an account is suspended. A creator can see their audience disappear after an algorithm change.

The worker may produce value while the platform controls distribution.

This is one of the central tensions of the digital economy.

If workers and creators generate economic value, how much control should they have over the systems through which they earn their living?

THE GEOGRAPHY OF DIGITAL INEQUALITY

The digital economy is global, but its infrastructure and productive capabilities are unevenly distributed.

The United States has major strengths in cloud computing, AI development, software, venture capital and semiconductor design.

China has developed substantial industrial capacity, digital platforms, telecommunications technology, electronics manufacturing and AI capabilities.

Japan and South Korea have important strengths in advanced manufacturing, robotics, semiconductor materials, electronics and industrial technology.

Europe retains major scientific, industrial and engineering capabilities, while pursuing its own regulatory and technological strategies.

Other countries participate in the digital economy primarily through consumption, outsourcing, raw-material supply, manufacturing, data services or specialised technology sectors.

These differences do not mean that every country must replicate Silicon Valley or build a complete semiconductor supply chain.

But they raise an important development question.

Will the next technological revolution create new centres of global economic production, or reinforce existing centres of technological ownership?

Countries that lack digital infrastructure, research capacity, skilled labour and access to investment may find themselves increasingly dependent on imported technologies.

The challenge is to move from technological consumption towards meaningful participation in technological production.

AFRICA: CONNECTED TO THE WORLD, BUT WHO OWNS THE DIGITAL ECONOMY?

Africa has enormous opportunities in the digital economy.

Its young population, expanding mobile markets, entrepreneurial communities and growing digital services create a foundation for technological development.

Mobile financial services have demonstrated that African innovation can solve problems in ways that influence global thinking.

But important structural challenges remain.

The infrastructure problem

Reliable electricity, broadband, fibre networks, affordable devices and computing infrastructure are essential for digital participation.

Without these foundations, access to advanced AI and other technologies remains uneven.

The ownership problem

African users and businesses frequently depend on foreign-owned operating systems, cloud services, digital platforms and software.

International partnerships can be beneficial, but countries need the capability to negotiate favourable terms and develop local alternatives where economically viable.

The education problem

Digital literacy is not enough.

Africa needs more engineers, software developers, cybersecurity specialists, semiconductor professionals, data scientists, robotics technicians and technology entrepreneurs.

The capital problem

A promising African technology startup may struggle to obtain financing, scale internationally or compete with companies that have access to much deeper pools of investment.

The industrialisation problem

Digital technology should not exist separately from the real economy.

AI and automation must be connected to agriculture, mining, manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, energy and education.

The objective should be to create productive industries, not simply increase the number of people using foreign digital platforms.

Africa must become a producer of valuable digital services and technologies, not only a growing market for them.

THE DIGITAL DIVIDE WITHIN COUNTRIES

Digital inequality is not exclusively a difference between rich and poor countries.

It exists within wealthy societies too.

A student in a well-funded school may have access to advanced AI tools, high-speed internet and professional guidance.

Another student in the same country may have limited connectivity and outdated equipment.

A large corporation can employ AI specialists, purchase premium software and build customised systems.

A small local business may struggle to afford subscriptions and technical support.

An urban professional may work remotely for international clients.

A rural worker may have little access to reliable connectivity or digital employment.

This means digital inequality can reproduce existing inequalities of income, geography, education and social opportunity.

The technology may be available in the same country, but the ability to benefit from it is not equally distributed.

THE LANGUAGE BARRIER: WHOSE KNOWLEDGE DOES AI UNDERSTAND?

Technology is often presented as universal.

But the usefulness of AI depends partly on the data, languages, cultural contexts and information systems on which it is developed.

Major international languages and well-represented datasets may receive greater technological attention.

Smaller languages, local dialects and underrepresented communities can receive less support.

This has consequences for education, public services, healthcare and economic participation.

If an AI system works effectively in English but poorly in local African languages, it may reproduce an existing knowledge inequality.

If educational tools are designed primarily around wealthy countries' curricula, students elsewhere may receive less relevant support.

If local communities are unable to develop or influence the datasets used to represent them, their knowledge and experiences may remain underrepresented.

The issue is not merely translation.

It is whether communities can participate in developing the technological systems that interpret their histories, languages and economic realities.

THE SUBSCRIPTION ECONOMY: WILL FUTURE GENERATIONS OWN LESS AND RENT MORE?

A growing number of digital services operate through subscriptions.

People pay monthly fees for software, cloud storage, entertainment, AI services, professional tools and online platforms.

This model provides convenience and continuous access to updated services.

It can also create permanent dependence.

A household may own its devices but rent access to essential software.

A business may operate its entire infrastructure through external subscriptions.

A creator may pay for multiple platforms simply to produce and distribute content.

A student may need several paid digital tools to remain competitive.

The economic question is whether access is replacing ownership across an increasing number of important activities.

There is nothing inherently wrong with subscription services.

The concern is the accumulation of recurring costs, provider dependence, limited portability and the loss of alternatives.

If essential digital capabilities become available only through continuing payments, what happens to people who cannot afford them?

Could access to technological productivity become a new measure of economic class?

THE EXCLUDED MAY BECOME THE NEW GLOBAL UNDERCLASS

The most serious consequence of digital inequality may not be the difference between people who own technology and those who consume it.

It may be the emergence of people who cannot compete effectively in an economy increasingly organised around digital capabilities.

Consider a worker whose occupation changes through automation but who cannot afford retraining.

Consider a small business unable to compete with digital competitors using advanced AI.

Consider a student without reliable internet access.

Consider an older person unable to navigate essential digital public services.

Consider a community whose language is poorly supported by mainstream technology.

These are different problems, but they point towards a common danger.

Technological transformation may create opportunities faster than institutions can distribute them.

If education, employment, public services and financial systems increasingly depend on digital capability, exclusion can become cumulative.

People who lack access today may find it harder to catch up tomorrow.

The appropriate response is not to oppose automation or restrict technological progress indiscriminately.

It is to build institutions that allow people to adapt, acquire new skills and participate in the changing economy.

CAN GOVERNMENTS REDUCE DIGITAL INEQUALITY?

Governments have several important responsibilities.

Affordable connectivity: Reliable broadband and mobile access should be treated as foundational infrastructure.

Digital education: Schools and vocational institutions must teach not only how to use technology, but also how to understand, evaluate and create it.

AI access: Public-interest education, research and small-business programmes can improve access to useful AI tools.

Competition policy: Regulators should examine platform dominance, restrictive practices and barriers that prevent smaller businesses from competing.

Worker protection: Employment policies should address algorithmic management, worker surveillance, job displacement and access to retraining.

Data protection: Citizens should have meaningful rights and protections over their personal information.

Local innovation: Public procurement, research funding and investment programmes can support domestic technology industries.

Digital accessibility: Technology should be designed to include people with disabilities, older populations and communities with limited digital literacy.

But government intervention must also be accountable.

Digital inclusion cannot become an excuse for political surveillance, censorship or the collection of excessive personal information.

The challenge is to expand participation while protecting freedom and privacy.

WHAT WOULD A MORE INCLUSIVE DIGITAL ECONOMY LOOK LIKE?

A fairer digital economy would not require every person to become a technology owner or software engineer.

It would provide multiple pathways to economic participation.

A farmer could use digital tools to reach markets and improve productivity.

A student could access quality educational technology regardless of family income.

A small business could compete internationally without being trapped by restrictive platforms.

A worker could retrain when technology changes their occupation.

A local technology company could develop products for domestic and international markets.

A community could protect its data and participate in decisions about how it is used.

A country could benefit from international technology while developing its own technical skills and productive capacity.

The measure of digital progress should therefore include not only how many people are connected, but how many can create value, earn income, develop capabilities and exercise meaningful control over their digital lives.

THREE POSSIBLE FUTURES

FUTURE A — THE TWO-TIER DIGITAL WORLD

A relatively small group of technology owners, investors and highly skilled professionals capture a large share of the economic benefits.

A much larger population uses digital services but has limited ownership and bargaining power. People without connectivity, education and capital face growing exclusion.

FUTURE B — THE DISTRIBUTED DIGITAL ECONOMY

Affordable infrastructure, accessible AI, digital education, competition and investment allow more people and businesses to participate productively.

Technology becomes a tool for entrepreneurship, education and broader economic opportunity.

FUTURE C — THE GOVERNED DIGITAL ECONOMY

Governments introduce stronger competition rules, data protections, digital education programmes and public-interest infrastructure.

Private enterprise continues to drive innovation, but the state takes a more active role in ensuring that technological progress benefits wider society.

These scenarios are not mutually exclusive. Different countries may combine elements of all three.

CONNECTING THE WORLD IS NOT THE SAME AS EMPOWERING HUMANITY

The digital revolution has connected people across continents.

It has opened doors to information, education, entrepreneurship and communication that previous generations could hardly imagine.

But connectivity alone does not eliminate inequality.

A person who owns the platform occupies a different economic position from someone who pays to use it.

A business that controls its data and intellectual property occupies a different position from one dependent on external systems.

A country that develops its own technological capabilities occupies a different position from one that imports almost everything it needs.

And a person without access to digital education, reliable infrastructure or economic opportunity may become increasingly marginalised.

The challenge is therefore to move beyond the idea that technological progress automatically produces social progress.

A genuinely inclusive digital economy should enable people not only to consume technology, but also to create, innovate, own businesses, develop skills and participate in the wealth that technology generates.

The future should not be divided between those who own the machines and those who simply pay to use them.

The ultimate measure of the digital revolution should not be how many people technology can connect. It should be how many people technology can empower.

Ubuntu — A Journey Rooted in Humanity.

By Jugo Ikeji Uju

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