Open Digital Economy

Open digital economy allows the entire human race to engage, transact and empower each other negating the need for physical presence. This is a major shift for us who were raised in the Era of migrant laborers’ where our fathers left families for months on end to work in cities with economic activity else, they couldn't provide for their families. Platforms like Medium.com and Publish0x opened opportunities we never dreamt possible. Never in my wildest dreams could I have dreamt of contributing to an international Publication from my home in the outskirts of South Africa. We have equal rights, irrespective of nationality and location, to access valuable cutting-edge educational material as we embark on the personal development journey. What a time to be alive! International companies like Binance, Akon, and personalities like Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Stark, Charles Hoskinson and others have been visible in Africa changing lives through raising awareness and skills development on latest technologies. This is what Africa needs as Africa is battling the triple challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality. Africa doesn't need donations but needs empowerment to acquire skills that are essential for Africa to develop systems to solve African challenges and improve the economic conditions of the continent. The dream of equal opportunities for all is becoming more real as these technologies mature. Majority of African citizens are in deep rural and remote areas with limited or no internet connectivity. These are mainly individuals who battle real life challenges due to lack of access to basic needs. They also deserve to enjoy the benefits of the Open digital economy. As we join hands and work together the dream of inclusion can be a reality in our lifetime. We, as Africans participating in this Open digital economy, have an even bigger role to play in actively removing entry barriers and intensify empowerment of the African nation. There are various actions we need to take including, but not limited to, provision of support to the work of translating the open-source educational material to languages that are understood by our communities. Technology presents an opportunity for carefully thought actions to consciously and actively impact lives at scale. Finally, as the geographic walls collapsed and barriers to entry slowly dissipate for some of us, we know that not everyone is aware due to lack of access to information. We have a responsibility to bridge the digital divide and unite humanity. Arise Africa, we are responsible to spread the message and educate all communities of our beloved continent to ensure that As We Rise, We Lift Others to ensure inclusivity in the Open digital economy.