Beyond Boundaries : Cyberspace in Africa

Examines the development and use of the Internet in a selected group of African countries.

This volume addresses the economic, social, and political issues surrouricing the use and development of the Internet in Africa.

A key conclusion of the study is that the use and development of cyberspace in Africa will erode the geographical and social boundaries of contemporary African nation-states A pathway through which Africans can transcend the political, economic, and cultural limitations of the frequently Western-imposed confines of language, religion, geography, and political and ethnic alliances will open.

The significance of the development of Internet access in African countries continues to be debated, particularly in countries whose governments have difficulty providing their citizens with the more basic needs of health care and education.

There is the danger, the authors point out, of cyberspace development furthering class and social divisions within African societies as access to computers in Africa is currently restricted to urban elites. They conclude, however, that connecting Africa to cyberspace is essential, for, as cyberspace becomes an increasingly important means of international communication, those nations without Internet access will be placed at a further disadvantageous position in the global economy.