Abstract
Digital technology is perceived as empowering as it creates job opportunities. There is a growing interest in how it may improve the socioeconomic status of disadvantaged groups in society. In South Africa, a disadvantaged group that can benefit from digital technology is black women. As a disadvantaged group, black women in South Africa have a history of racial, patriarchal, and socioeconomic oppression. These systems oppress them and limit them from financial empowerment. As a disadvantaged group in South Africa, it is argued that digital technology can improve their socioeconomic status. Therefore, the aim of this research is to examine the views of black women in Tembisa towards digital technology and how it has influenced their socio-economic status.
The paper presents a qualitative study of black women who live in Tembisa, a Township situated in Kempton Park on the East Rand, Gauteng. It highlights the extent to which women have access to technology and how they interact with digital technology. It investigates the challenges women experience in using and accessing technology and it examines the way in which technology improves women’s socio-economic status. Semi-structured interviews were used to draw data from 10 black female participants that took place in the fieldwork.
Findings reveal that black women perceive digital technology as a tool for socioeconomic empowerment. They believe that digital technology enhances communication, thus creating opportunities for socioeconomic growth. Most of the participants secured their jobs through digital platforms. Furthermore, the findings revealed that many black women in communities across Tembisa do not have access to technology. Many women cannot afford expensive digital devices such as smartphones. High data prices also keep them from accessing the internet while load shedding prevents them from using their devices. In addition, the lack of knowledge of digital technology hinders them from using it to its full potential. The paper concludes that digital technology is an essential tool for women’s socioeconomic empowerment and recommends that the government should move swiftly to address the lack of accessibility to digital technology in disadvantaged communities.