COM3704
Assignment 1
Semester 2
Due 2025
,COM3704
Assignment 1
Semester 2 2025
Table of Contents
Essay 1: New Media’s Role in National Development and Indigenous ........................ 2
Epistemologies in the Global South ............................................................................. 2
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 2
1.1 New Media and National Development Programs ................................................. 2
1.2 New Media and Indigenous African Epistemologies .............................................. 5
Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 6
..................................................................................................................................... 8
ESSAY 2: New Media and Cybercrime: Challenges and Regulatory Responses ........ 8
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 8
2.1 Understanding Cybercrime in the Age of New Media ............................................ 8
2.2 Forms of Cybercrime and Their Societal Impacts .................................................. 9
2.3 POPIA: A Framework for Data-Centric Cybercrime Response ............................ 10
Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 12
References ................................................................................................................ 13
, Essay 1: New Media’s Role in National Development and Indigenous
Epistemologies in the Global South
Introduction
In a rapidly digitizing world, new media—encompassing social platforms, mobile apps,
streaming content, and participatory technologies—has emerged as a transformative
force, particularly across the Global South. Far beyond facilitating communication, these
tools are reshaping the contours of national development and the survival of indigenous
knowledge systems.
Yet, while the potential is vast, the digital ecosystem reflects deep-rooted inequalities.
This essay interrogates the dual promise and peril of new media in relation to (i)
national development—including poverty alleviation, political participation, employment,
and literacy—and (ii) the revitalization and global positioning of indigenous African
epistemologies. The analysis goes beyond mainstream narratives to uncover nuanced,
underreported realities that demand urgent policy and academic attention.
1.1 New Media and National Development Programs
Poverty Alleviation: The Rise of “Digital Subsistence Economies”
New media has birthed entirely new economic subcultures where survival and micro-
entrepreneurship coexist. A standout example is M-Pesa in Kenya, hailed globally for
democratizing access to finance. Less visible but equally powerful are informal
WhatsApp trade networks in countries like Zimbabwe and Sudan, where vendors
bypass inflation-ridden formal markets to sell essentials.
Insight: Policymakers must invest in digital capacity-building, particularly among rural
women and youth, to convert access into agency.
Assignment 1
Semester 2
Due 2025
,COM3704
Assignment 1
Semester 2 2025
Table of Contents
Essay 1: New Media’s Role in National Development and Indigenous ........................ 2
Epistemologies in the Global South ............................................................................. 2
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 2
1.1 New Media and National Development Programs ................................................. 2
1.2 New Media and Indigenous African Epistemologies .............................................. 5
Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 6
..................................................................................................................................... 8
ESSAY 2: New Media and Cybercrime: Challenges and Regulatory Responses ........ 8
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 8
2.1 Understanding Cybercrime in the Age of New Media ............................................ 8
2.2 Forms of Cybercrime and Their Societal Impacts .................................................. 9
2.3 POPIA: A Framework for Data-Centric Cybercrime Response ............................ 10
Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 12
References ................................................................................................................ 13
, Essay 1: New Media’s Role in National Development and Indigenous
Epistemologies in the Global South
Introduction
In a rapidly digitizing world, new media—encompassing social platforms, mobile apps,
streaming content, and participatory technologies—has emerged as a transformative
force, particularly across the Global South. Far beyond facilitating communication, these
tools are reshaping the contours of national development and the survival of indigenous
knowledge systems.
Yet, while the potential is vast, the digital ecosystem reflects deep-rooted inequalities.
This essay interrogates the dual promise and peril of new media in relation to (i)
national development—including poverty alleviation, political participation, employment,
and literacy—and (ii) the revitalization and global positioning of indigenous African
epistemologies. The analysis goes beyond mainstream narratives to uncover nuanced,
underreported realities that demand urgent policy and academic attention.
1.1 New Media and National Development Programs
Poverty Alleviation: The Rise of “Digital Subsistence Economies”
New media has birthed entirely new economic subcultures where survival and micro-
entrepreneurship coexist. A standout example is M-Pesa in Kenya, hailed globally for
democratizing access to finance. Less visible but equally powerful are informal
WhatsApp trade networks in countries like Zimbabwe and Sudan, where vendors
bypass inflation-ridden formal markets to sell essentials.
Insight: Policymakers must invest in digital capacity-building, particularly among rural
women and youth, to convert access into agency.
