ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how digitality as a language operates in relation to power, and if the notion of a 'divide' is still meaningful. The conceptualisation of Information Communication Technology (ICT) as a language, i.e. as a codified system of symbols through which reality can be encoded, is not new. Manovic proposes an analysis of the impact of digitality in the work 'the language of new media'. The relationship between language and power has been researched from theories of language learning to policy to sociolinguistics. Language and ICT can be seen as tools of communication and, as such, they do not necessarily challenge or entrench existing power relationships. The 'digital leapfrog' of Africa and other parts of the developing world refers to impressive progress in the deployment of infrastructure, diffusion of ICT devices and Internet penetration. The concept of a digital divide emerged as a result of the fast diffusion of digital technologies on a global scale and the associated inequalities.
