This paper reviews the framing - sets of concepts and perspectives - of the components involved with how one communicates the framings of the words “ICT access in rural Africa”. It focuses specifically on the indigenous views. These views are derived from 14 years socio-techno ethnographic research on ICT access in rural Zambia and Zimbabwe. The realities in rural Africa are particular. Local modalities affect long term local adoption and respectful integration of technologies in African rural areas. Lack of pioneering, indigenous African research does affect and hamper mutual understanding, especially between the local community and specialists.
There appears to be a rift between the framing from the Western/urban worldview and those aligned with the indigenous African perspective. ICT access in Rural Africa is not only a matter of the essential availability of functionality through physical ICT infrastructure and equipment. It involves a much wider range of issue, e.g. a relationality, that needs a holistic approach and appreciation of the local understanding of reality.
Framing African realities in a foreign perspective is inappropriate to convey the meaning and value of these realities to Africans themselves. Such re-framing of African realities in Westerncast definitions and philosophies leads to marginalisation of the African perspectives. Local framing of ICT access, sensitive to history, context and culture, are crucial ingredients for respectful and inclusive sensitisation, education, implementation and maintaining ICT access for
sustainable progress in rural Africa.