Leon Gwaka

University of Pennsylvania | UP · Center for Technology, Innovation and Competition

Livestock contribute 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 towards addressing these challenges and yet, contrar...

The mounting evidence that current efforts to meet international goals for increasing Internet connectivity are likely to fall short has heightened interest in alternative connectivity models such as community networks. Already, there are many such initiatives globally taking differentiated approaches towards their setup and operation. This results...

This study examines social media use for public engagement during the Cape Town water crisis in South Africa. The study applies technology affordance and attribution theories to explore social media features (affordances) utilised by local authorities and the public, meanings embedded in the social media posts and the attributions of the water cris...

Broadband access is an important part of enhancing rural community development, improving the general quality of life. Recent telecommunications stimulus projects in the U.S. and Canada were intended to increase availability of broadband through funding infrastructure investments, largely in rural and remote regions. However, there are various smal...

Smallholder livestock farmers (SLF) are important in research and policy development agenda because of the everlasting issue of food insecurity and the livelihoods in sub-Sahara Africa. Lack of access to technologies and information, poor infrastructure and lack of access to markets and environmental factors play a key role in deterring sustainable...

Investments in digital infrastructure in marginalised communities are set to increase in the next decade. These are premised on the potential of digital technologies to contribute towards solving societal problems, including the fragility of food value chains in rural areas. Although there are mixed empirical findings on the impact of these digital...

Smallholder livestock farmers (SLF) are important in research and policy development agenda because of the everlasting issue of food insecurity and the livelihoods in sub-Sahara Africa. Lack of access to technologies and information, poor infrastructure and lack of access to markets and environmental factors play a key role in deterring sustainable...

The pervasive advances in information technology, coupled with environmental changes and the gruelling real-time stakeholder demands consistently challenge the auditing profession. Modernday complex interconnected business networks, are progressively making the true nature of emerging risks difficult to assess. Some of these emerging risks are like...

Livestock contribute towards household food security in rural communities through income generation and provision of animal-source food. However, livestock system are fragile for example, in Zimbabwe, communities face challenges such as fewer buyers, poor infrastructure, and information asymmetry when selling livestock. Emerging digital platforms p...

This study examines the relationship between digital infrastructure and the sustainability of livestock systems in Beitbridge, Zimbabwe. The study aims to answer the question: Do digital infrastructure transformations impact the sustainability of livestock systems in rural communities? By answering this question, the study contributes towards effor...

Although it is premature to compare its technological status to the developed continents, Africa has experienced significant improvements in accessing, utilising and managing technologies. The presence of emerging technologies such as social media has enabled transformations in the socio-economic development processes of several African societies....

The adoption and use of digital technologies (DTs) in rural communities have an impact on several aspects of the society. Using empirical evidence from selected villages of Beitbridge district in Zimbabwe, this study examines the relationship between DTs and youth mobility. The different types, causes, and motifs associated with youth mobilities ar...

Most rural communities in developing countries such as Zimbabwe are underserved and/or unserved with regard to telecommunication connectivity. Governments in developing countries are also under‐resourced to provide adequate digital infrastructure. Thus, community networks are increasingly seen as viable alternatives to bridge the infrastructure gap...

Community participatory approaches to food security and community development

The 43rd Committee on World Food Security (CFS) convention reiterated the importance of livestock towards eliminating food insecurity across the globe. Livestock provides extensive services and products which are critical in addressing the issues of hunger, malnutrition, health and diseases. However, despite such importance, livestock systems acros...

Social media has undoubtedly emerged as one of the greatest developments in this technology-driven generation. Despite its existence from years back, social media popularity has recently surged drastically, with billions of users worldwide reported to be on at least one social media platform. This increase in users of social media has further been...