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- 💼 💸 4IR Without Youth Ownership = Digital Colonialism 2.0 💼 💸
💼 💸 4IR Without Youth Ownership = Digital Colonialism 2.0 💼 💸
Another Expensive Hype!
Phemelo Kebinelang
November 13, 2025
13 NOVEMBER 2025
💰THE DIGITAL ECONOMY💰
"S’Phanda Sonke Online – Asambe"
"Empowering Youth and Communities to THRIVE in this DIGITAL ERA!”
“I'm not saying I'm gonna change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that will change the world.” Tupac Shakur
4IR Without Youth Ownership = Digital Colonialism 2.0
Another Expensive Hype!
Fellow Digital Revolutionary,
I owe you an apology.
Wednesday came and went.
No warning.
Just... silence.
I've been unwell.
Still recovering.
And I appreciate your patience.
But I'm writing this from my sickbed because what I need to tell you next week cannot wait to be announced.
Here's why:
While I was not feeling well, history was made in the South African digital economy.
It was during my fight back to full strength that I started thinking about real, unshakeable focus.
I mean Nkosana Makate-level focus.
The discipline to take on a giant like Vodacom in a legal battle lasting over 17 years isn’t just “pap and vleis”, it’s a blueprint for revolution.
Next week, I’m dedicating our publications to this warrior.
We won’t just retell his story; we’ll dig for the lessons.
What if Makate’s victory wasn’t just about the money he was owed?
What if the R10 billion he fought for isn’t simply a payout, but a foundation?
A foundation he laid that we’re now supposed to build on.
He might not have that R10 billion in his bank account today, but he left us something far more valuable.
He set a precedent.
He proved that an idea from one of us can be worth billions.
The question I’ll be tackling next week is this:
How do we, as the youth aiming to dominate the digital economy, take the foundation Makate built and use it to launch our own digital economy takeover?
Think about that.
Stay tuned…
You don’t wanna miss the discussion.
Let’s proceed with today’s interesting topic.
The Question You're Not Asking Yourself
You scroll through LinkedIn, don’t you?
Another 4IR conference.
Another “youth empowerment” initiative.
Another corporate pitch about “preparing young people for the digital economy.”
Something feels off, but you can’t quite put your finger on it.
Here’s what they’re not telling you: Every time someone praises 4IR without showing you how to OWN a part of it, they’re training you to be cheap labour for global tech billionaires.
Not employees.
Not partners.
Just labour.
You provide the data, and your life is tracked.
You do the work, content creation, gig tasks, and platform participation.
They provide the infrastructure.
They keep the profits.
And they call it “opportunity.”
This isn’t prepping you for the digital economy, it’s prepping you for digital colonialism 2.0.
Same labour value extraction model.
Shinier tools.
And the uncomfortable truth?
You might already be part of it without realising.
What's Actually Happening While We "Prepare"
Right now, as you read this, a 21-year-old in your township is watching YouTube for four hours.
Google pockets R20 from his attention.
His sister scrolls TikTok for three hours.
ByteDance monetises her data.
Their cousin does piecework on a gig platform for R45/hour.
The platform takes 20% and owns the client relationship.
All three are active in the digital economy.
All three create value.
None of them owns anything.
Meanwhile, in California, a 22-year-old just raised $2 million for an app idea.
Not because he’s smarter or works harder.
Because he was taught to build platforms, not just use them.
To create systems, not just participate in them.
To own infrastructure, not just access it.
The difference?
Mindset, mentorship, and a system that says, “You belong on the ownership side.”
South Africa hosts endless 4IR summits, innovation hubs, and “digital skills training.”
But what are we really training youth for?
To be excellent employees of foreign companies.
“Learn to code!” (So you can work for a Silicon Valley startup remotely, for half what they pay locally.)
“Understand AI!” (So you can feed data into American models.)
We’re not training youth to build the next Amazon.
We’re training them to work for Amazon.
That’s not empowerment.
It’s sophisticated exploitation.
And the cruellest part?
We celebrate it.
Every graduate landing a remote job with a US company, we cheer.
Every freelancer earning dollars on Upwork, we applaud.
Yes, that income matters; I’m not dismissing it.
But if that’s where the story ENDS instead of where it BEGINS, we’ve failed.
Because the goal isn’t “South African youth can work for Silicon Valley.”
The goal is “South African youth can BUILD the next Silicon Valley.”
Right here.
Right now.
Serving global markets.
Owning the platforms.
Keeping the wealth.
The 4IR didn’t come to liberate us.
It came to squeeze us for efficiency.
Unless we TAKE ownership.
Unless we BUILD, not just participate.
The Choice You're Making Right Now
Whether You Realise It Or Not
So, here’s the question that should keep you up at night: Are you BUILDING on the digital economy, or just another user making someone else rich?
Every hour you spend scrolling without creating.
Every skill you learn but don’t monetise under YOUR brand.
Every client you serve through someone else’s platform without building your own.
You’re choosing.
Maybe not consciously.
But you’re choosing.
And here’s what I want you to get: This isn’t a guilt trip.
It’s a wake-up call from someone who actually wants you to win.
The tools exist.
The technology is here.
AI, no-code platforms, e-commerce infrastructure, and global payment systems, all accessible.
The only question is: Will you use them to build wealth, or rent your labour to those who already have it?
Let’s talk.
Asambe!
If this message resonates with you, don't keep it to yourself.
Your revolution starts now.
🚀 See below, we’re back in full swing, sharing fresh digital economy opportunities, resources, insights and power moves designed for youth who are ready to level up and lead in the digital economy.
💡 These aren’t random links or generic info; they’re well-researched, globally applicable, battle-tested opportunities and insights built for you to start using and learning from.
Don’t just scroll past them. Use them. Act on them. Build something that outlives the hype. Own your piece of the digital economy.
Join the movement.
Learn. Create. Launch. Earn.
TRENDING AI TOOLS
TopView turns your product into viral videos.
Chirpz AI finds, reads, and ranks academic papers.
Quizify creates quizzes, surveys, and forms in minutes.
REMOTE JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Beck Interactive Partners needs a remote contract developer partner manager ($15-$25/hour)
Amalga Group (Mexico) needs a remote freelance HubSpot CMS web developer (15-20 hours/week)
Armor Games Studios (US) needs a part-time remote Adept game wizard ($20-$30/hour)
Michelle Marie needs a WordPress developer
Jake Hottenstine needs a full-stack developer for vendor credentially MVP (20 hours/week, $75-$100/hour)
Major League Table Tennis (US) needs a freelance Webflow designer/developer
SkyKelpie (Australia) needs a remote contract programmer
Chess.com needs a remote full-time senior frontend engineer
Chess.com needs a remote full-time Python engineer
Womily (India) needs a freelance Shopify developer
INSIGHTS
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Why psychological safety is the oxygen of innovation
LET’S READ TOGETHER
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