Waiting for a Hero: Dramatism Analysis of South Africa’s ICT Development

ABSTRACT A critical and comprehensive reflection of information and communication technology (ICT) is needed to prepare South Africa for the fourth industrial revolution (4IR). Through one uncommonly used theoretical framework in analysing ICT development—dramatism analysis—this article examines South Africa’s ICT development. By examining the nature and features of the development through this framework, this article highlights the multitude of South Africa’s ICT role players, the tensions among them and the unfulfilled roles from any potential hero in South Africa’s ICT drama. The analysis also exposes a shortcoming in current South African ICT literature, which privileges certain aspects of supply-side analysis over other critical supply side as well as demand-side analysis. The article finds that South Africa’s ICT development has largely been unsuccessful due to lack of strong leaders who are able to fulfil the role of a hero, which in turn impedes the country’s ability to take advantage of the opportunities and respond to the challenges presented by the 4IR.