Emerging middle-power countries like South Africa, India and Brazil face growing inequalities. At the same time, everyday lives are becoming more and more digital – from paying bills and reading news to contacting companies and services. Ways need to be found to include everyone in the online world, regardless of how much money they have. Ashraf Patel is an information and communications technology policy specialist who has been researching the G20 for several years. In his chapter from a new open access book, G20 in Brazil and South Africa: Priorities, Agendas and Voices of the Global South, he discusses how South Africa compares with Brazil on the digital economy.
What are the key areas of the digital economy?
The G20’s Digital Economy working group covers discussions around digital access, equality, artificial intelligence governance, safety, innovation and sustainability. It also looks at how the digital space can be regulated so it does not cause harm to society. In the last two or three years it has gained a lot of traction with nations that are trying to deal with inequalities in the digital economy.
