The Dark Side of Africa’s Role in Global Tech: How Big Tech Profits from Cheap Digital Labor
Nairobi, Kenya – The tech industry in Africa is booming, but at what cost? The tragic death of Ladi Anzaki Olubunmi, a Nigerian content moderator working for Teleperformance Kenya, has once again highlighted the exploitative conditions under which African digital workers toil.
Olubunmi was employed to filter disturbing content on TikTok, a job that many in the industry describe as psychologically grueling, low-paying, and emotionally draining. For two years, she was unable to return home to Nigeria, despite repeated attempts. Her colleagues revealed that she frequently complained of extreme fatigue but had no option but to keep working under inhumane conditions.
Content moderators like Olubunmi are the hidden workforce behind the social media industry’s sanitized digital spaces. Every day, they are forced to review traumatic, violent, and often disturbing content, all while being paid significantly less than their Western counterparts.
Why Are African Workers Treated as Cheap Digital Labor?
The tragic fate of Olubunmi is not an isolated case. African digital workers are routinely exploited by Western companies that outsource tech jobs to the continent, taking advantage of lax labor laws, cheap wages, and a desperate workforce.
Companies like TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube all rely on content moderators in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, but provide little to no mental health support for workers who are forced to review horrific content daily.
This case raises urgent questions:
- Why are Western tech giants outsourcing digital labor to Africa under poor conditions?
- What role does the Kenyan and Nigerian governments play in protecting workers from exploitation?
- Will Africa continue to be a source of cheap digital labor, or will workers demand better conditions?
Olubunmi’s colleagues have called for an independent investigation into her death and for stronger labor protectionsin the industry. But will African governments listen?
