React for Good: Creating Inclusive, Secure, and Scalable Applications in Emerging Markets

Hi, everyone. My name is Inosency Andembera, and I am so excited to be here today. I wear a number of hats. I am a co-founder and chief of operations for Cheapin Limited. I am a board member for Google Women Techmakers South Africa. I founded Women in Tech Malawi, and I also lead the Code Africa Lidongo chapter. But most importantly, I am a React developer.

And today, I would like to talk about something that is really dear to me using React to build for good, not just for your eyes. You see, we can use React to develop applications that are actually scalable, secure, and also inclusive that are actually working for emerging markets like Malawi and across Africa.

First of all, let's talk about Internet connectivity and devices. In most of the emerging markets, especially EOS, people are still using 2G or 3G networks. And while we're busy designing and developing applications that require stable 4G or Wi-Fi, these people are struggling to load the homepages. And the devices themselves are low-end. There are some people who are on 512 MB or 1 GB RAM smartphones with an outdated browser. Now, for the applications that require constantly syncing, or they have large bundle sizes, or they have heavy media files, they just crash up or just fail to open all together.

With React, we can use code splitting to load only what's needed. We can also optimize performance through lazy loading, image compression, and also offline-first designs. And finally, we can build progressive web applications that still work without strong Internet.

Next, security. There's a lack of deep trust in digital platforms, especially those that handle sensitive information like money or health. React 8 supports secure authentication for using libraries like Firebase Boss and allows easy implementation of input validation.

Finally, exclusion. Many people in emerging markets are first-time Internet users or have limited literacy in English. React can help by supporting multiple languages, building simple UIs, and using semantic HTML for accessibility. For example, Zunga, a financial platform, was built using React to address the lack of reliable financial services in Malawi.

React 8 supports secure authentication for using libraries like Firebase Boss. It also allows easy implementation of input validation.

Many people in emerging markets are first-time Internet users, or they have limited literacy in English, let alone the language. So, when an application has a complex user interface or a lot of icons, or there's no translation, that's a very big way to lose the audience. An application may look sleek and modern to us, but to someone who hasn't used a smartphone for long, or they only use it for the basics, they may find it intimidating. And a lot of people don't like asking for help, so they just uninstall it and move on.

React can help us fix this. With internationalization libraries, we can build applications that support multiple languages. Secondly, we can build simple step-by-step UIs with reusable components. And lastly, semantic HTML helps us build applications where even the users with disabilities can navigate through using keyboard controls.

Let me explain to you how I have personally used React for good. We built a platform called Zunga. The problem was so simple, but so serious. Most Malawians don't have access to reliable or secure financial services. Traditional banks were too expensive or too strict. Add to it the security concerns and mistrust. So, we saw a gap. So, we built Zunga, a financial platform, and we used React because it gives us responsiveness and also scalability. It also provides offline support and lightweight UI and also enhanced security.