HCI in Africa is growing yet fragmented and underrepresented globally. We map 2002–2024 activity via a bibliometric scan of 500+ papers ( 300 venues) and an institutional survey in 11 countries, situating results by population, connectivity, and policy readiness, and including work outside HCI labels (e.g., NGOs, tech hubs). We find a post-2020 rise in Africa-led publications and sharper venue stratification: mainstream venues feature mixed teams, while local outlets host much Africa-centered work; teaching shows strong pockets amid capacity, resource, and curriculum constraints. We contribute (1) a continent-scale, context-aware map of authorship and venues; (2) design provocations beyond expansionist logics; and (3) actionable steps for reviewers, venues, and institutions, supported by an open corpus and interactive dashboard.

Hydroponic farming is a sustainable alternative to traditional agriculture, allowing farmers to grow crops more efficiently. This type of farming involves growing plants in water without needing soil. There is increasing agreement that this agricultural approach should be utilized to mitigate food insecurity, particularly considering the fluctuating and unpredictability of weather conditions. However, this approach requires technical expertise in addition to consistent monitoring. Existing research has focused on applying The Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to the automation and monitoring of hydroponic farming systems. However, limited work tested the viability of these systems in the field with farmers. This study focused on including rural subsistence farmers in farming alongside a seven-month and ongoing deployment of an AI and IoT-enabled hydroponics system following a qualitative approach that entailed focus groups with the farmers and observations of the hydroponic systems. This paper discusses the lessons learned regarding unpredictable and uncontrollable extreme weather conditions, equipment failure, choices in nutrient solutions, and pest infestations, which often all have unplanned and unintended consequences for these systems and farmers. We argue that more deployments are needed to better understand how these systems function in real-world settings.

In recent years, there has been a growing focus on HCI research in non-western contexts, attracting junior researchers from diverse backgrounds to actively engage in this global community. However, there are limited avenues for junior researchers to learn the unwritten practices and nuances of the research process. Our workshop addresses this need through a 3-hour coaching session where junior researchers are paired with experienced senior researchers to work on a concrete research task of the junior researcher’s choice, providing valuable mentorship and guidance.

Abstract The preponderance of Western methods, practices, standards, and classifications in the manner in which new technology-related knowledge is created and globalised has led to calls for more inclusive approaches to design. A decolonisation project is concerned with how researchers might contribute to dismantling and re-envisioning existing power relations, resisting past biases, and balancing Western heavy influences in technology design by foregrounding the authentic voices of the indigenous people in the entire design process. We examine how the establishment of local Global South HCI communities (AfriCHI and ArabHCI) has led to the enactment of decolonisation practices. Specifically, we seek to uncover how decolonisation is perceived in the AfriCHI and ArabHCI communities as well as the extent to which both communities are engaged with the idea of decolonisation without necessarily using the term. We drew from the relevant literature, our own outsider/insider lived experiences, and the communities’ responses to an online anonymised survey to highlight three problematic but interrelated practical paradoxes: a terminology, an ethical, and a micro-colonisation paradox. We argue that these paradoxes expose the dilemmas faced by local non-Western researchers as they pursue decolonisation thinking. This article offers a blended perspective on the decolonisation debate in HCI, CSCW, and the practice-based CSCW scholarly communities and invites researchers to examine their research work using a decolonisation lens.

It is well documented that ICTs are tools for development. However, there is still a need to comprehensively demonstrate the tangible and intangible effects that ICTs have towards development. A framework for the assessment of the outcomes and impacts of ICT4D is proposed, which provides guidelines for the critical aspects of a project that should be assessed and taken into account when conducting an outcome and impact assessment of rural ICT4D. This framework is based on a comprehensive approach to evaluation and forms part of continuous research on the rural ICT comprehensive evaluation framework (RICT-CEF). From this study five key themes have been identified based on a theoretical analysis and field observations. These themes include strategic value', 'empowerment', 'livelihoods', 'most significant change' and 'sustainability'.