This book is an invaluable resource for learning about SMS in Africa, but it has broader value for understanding the challenges and opportunities of social networking on all Internet platforms. The authors, pre-eminent in the field of Internet activism in Africa, both cover general issues and provide detailed case studies of digital information gathering and activism in Kenya, DR Congo, KwaZulu Natal, Uganda and Zimbabwe among others. The digital divide is addressed but so also is the exponential growth of mobile technologies and the innovative adaptation of old and new technologies to local circumstances. An often overlooked feature of technological adaptation in Africa is the relentless creativity of people in Africa as they attempt to keep automobiles, phones, computers and other items operational far beyond the warranty dates. SMS Uprising applies this well to communications technologies. Authors also note both the positive and negative uses of such technologies, including distribution of both non-violent and violent speech as well as the ability to track movements for good and bad purposes.
I was surprised at the positive presentation in the book of market liberalization in the context of telecommunications. It seems that there was a clear support for privatized networks rather than government intervention. This position deserves broader integration into debates about neoliberal marketplaces, efficiency, innovation and human welfare.
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