The Power of the USB and Cellular Phone

When European explorers first braved the interior of the ‘Dark Continent’ they often marvelled at – and occasionally frowned upon – the nomadic nature of many of its people. Whether it was a group in the Congo or a tribe traversing the Sahara from Kano, it seemed that people moved with all of their belongings, whether it was a camel, shovel or blade. This kind of lifestyle seemed unthinkable to the European, whose sole aim, it seemed, was to accumulate wealth through the acquisition of land, riches and property.

But has much changed since in many parts of Africa? Let me clarify (and forgive me for slightly departing from the discussion at hand) with some examples. How do you gain the confidence of a government official in Africa, gain the trust of a professor, or even secure a date? In my experience, by providing one of two gifts: a mobile phone or a pen drive (USB). The big project work financed by development agencies, which has facilitated few improvements in quality of life in sub-Saharan Africa, has made the aforementioned all the more valuable. Because amid all of the civil violence and electricity brownouts you are often forced to endure in Africa, you can count on two things, regardless of how dire your situation may be: an effective mobile phone network, propelled by ‘pay as you go’ credit, and an internet café. This is why a mobile phone and a pen drive are so essential in this environment: they store all of the African’s information and are, of course, portable. These items are no longer symbols of wealth in Africa but rather necessities in what seems to be – albeit for different reasons these days – a place where people are constantly on the move.

Thus, if an African’s house explodes, it is not the end of the world; if his or her farm burns down, it is not grounds to shoot oneself; if his or her car suddenly stopped working, it is not a disaster. But for people constantly on the move, losing a pen drive or cellular phone, which contain the details of one's life, ambitions, connections and lifestyle, would be catastrophic.