Days in the Life of Mo

We all love a good glow-up. A fresh UI. A faster API. A sleek new app that makes us feel like we’re living in 2040.
But what happens when that glow-up only includes the tech bros, the LinkedIn influencers, and the well-funded unicorns?
What happens when “innovation” quietly evicts everyone else?

Welcome to tech gentrification, where digital transformation forgets its neighbors.

Let’s Break It Down: What Is Tech Gentrification?

Think of gentrification in your city: one minute, it’s your mom’s corner café with the best scones, and the next, it’s a minimalist cold brew lab with no prices on the menu.

Now apply that to the digital world.
Tech gentrification happens when new technologies and platforms rapidly replace old systems; but only the privileged few can afford to keep up. It’s a world that updates so fast, it leaves people (and entire communities) behind.

“As with traditional gentrification, the benefits of tech-driven revitalization are rarely distributed evenly.”

Let’s not lie. We’ve all seen it:

• That small NGO forced to “digitize” without the budget to train staff.
• That rural school where learners share one outdated PC like it’s the last slice of pizza.
• That auntie with the Nokia 105 who suddenly can’t access her clinic booking because the system “moved online.”

Tech is moving forward. Not everyone is invited.

Real-World Glitches in the System

Here’s the plot twist: tech is supposed to increase access; not gatekeep it.

But…

• In 2023, over 2.7 billion people globally were still offline. That’s one-third of the world.
  — International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
• In South Africa, only 10.4% of rural households had internet access in 2021.
  — StatsSA General Household Survey

Even when people do have devices, there’s often no data, no training, and no support. But the world keeps pushing toward digital everything, from public services to banking. And if you can’t keep up? You’re locked out of opportunity; with a smiley-faced chatbot telling you to “try again later.”

But Why Should Devs Care?

Because we’re the ones building the world people will either thrive in or be excluded from.
And no, I’m not saying ditch your React apps and go back to Notepad++.
I’m saying: let’s notice. Let’s design and develop with accessibility and context in mind.

Digital doesn’t have to mean displacement.

It could mean:

• Offline-first functionality for apps.
• Interfaces in local languages
• Inclusive design that considers disability, literacy, and bandwidth.

Because if a product only works in Sandton with fibre and an iPhone 15 Pro, it’s not a global solution. It’s a boutique.

What Would Inclusive Digital Transformation Look Like?

It would look like:

• Government platforms that run smoothly even on low-end Androids.
• E-learning apps that don’t chew through 3GB in a week.
• Civic tech that doesn’t require five logins, a biometric scan, and your ancestral lineage.

More importantly, it would look like a conversation, not a command.

Progress is exciting.

But progress that only works for the privileged is just inequality in HTML.

Let’s not build castles in the cloud while forgetting the people on the ground.
Digital transformation? Yes.
But not without everyone.

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If this post made you pause (or mildly rage), you’re exactly who I write for.

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