Video Summary and Transcription
Inosency Andembera, React developer, discusses using React for building scalable, secure, and inclusive applications for emerging markets like Malawi and Africa. Addressing challenges of Internet connectivity, device limitations, security concerns, and inclusivity for first-time Internet users. Utilizing React for performance, security, and inclusion in emerging markets through code splitting, lazy loading, authentication, input validation, multiple language support, and simple UIs. Highlighting React's features in enhancing inclusion by addressing challenges in emerging markets, such as limited digital literacy, creating simple UIs, supporting multiple languages, internationalization, step-by-step UIs, and semantic HTML for accessibility. Zunga, a financial platform in Malawi, showcases React's benefits in addressing financial service gaps, scalability, offline support, and security enhancements.
1. Using React for Inclusive Applications
Inosency Andembera, React developer, discusses using React for building scalable, secure, and inclusive applications for emerging markets like Malawi and Africa. Addressing challenges of Internet connectivity, device limitations, security concerns, and inclusivity for first-time Internet users.
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.
2. React for Emerging Markets
Using React for Performance, Security, and Inclusion in Emerging Markets. Utilizing React for code splitting, lazy loading, security features like authentication and input validation, and inclusivity through multiple languages and simple UIs.
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.
3. Enhancing Inclusion with React
React 8 features secure authentication and input validation. Challenges in emerging markets include limited digital literacy and the need for simple UIs and multiple language support. React aids in creating inclusive apps with internationalization, step-by-step UIs, and semantic HTML for accessibility. Zunga, a financial platform in Malawi, highlights React's benefits in addressing financial service gaps, scalability, offline support, and security enhancements.
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.
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