Faculty Research Seminar: Leon Gwaka
October 24, 2022
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. CAT
Room A203
Speaker: Leon Gwaka
Topic: Computer-supported livestock systems: The potential of digital platforms to revitalize a livestock system in rural Zimbabwe
Abstract: Livestock contributes to household food security, financial security, and societal status. However, most rural livestock systems are fragile, characterized by poor infrastructure, information asymmetry, and dysfunctional markets. Literature suggests that digital platforms show promise to contribute toward addressing these challenges and yet, contrary evidence cautions against growing concerns like platform providers’ power accumulation which can further marginalize users. I use evidence from the MOSMAC intervention in Beitbridge (Zimbabwe) to explore the potential of digital platforms to revitalize a livestock system. Findings suggest that digital platforms strengthen the livestock system by connecting system actors, improving coordination, and enabling transactions. However, these platforms are fraught with hidden complexities often invisible to users and can worsen prevailing conditions. I demonstrate data aggregation, power consolidation through product integration, and power shifts which are often unknown to the users. These insights can inform design considerations and empower users to make informed decisions about digital platforms.
Bio: Leon Gwaka is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. His primary research focuses on studying options to connect the unconnected, digital infrastructure transformation in resource-constrained communities, the intersection of digital technologies and Sustainable Development Goals, and technology impact assessment. He also has interests in food systems, mobilities, and the sustainability of micro, small, and medium enterprises. He publishes his work in several journals and contributes to global reports. Most recently, Leon contributed to a report for the UN Broadband Commission titled "Strategies Towards Universal Smartphone Access." Between 2015 and 2019, Leon received funding from USAID and Resilient Africa Network to implement the MOSMAC project which aimed to introduce digital technologies to smallholder farmers in rural Zimbabwe. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of the Western Cape and M Tech from Cape Peninsula University of Technology, in South Africa. Leon also trained as a professional accountant in South Africa, taught, and supervised research students in Information Systems Auditing, Taxation, and Accounting at Cape Peninsula University of Technology.