Computers and South Africa

The Use of Computer to Support Oppression

· Computers helped the whites control better
· UN arms trade embargos to South Africa
· Even though embargo was in place American computers made it through
· The computers played more than a support role, the country was dependant on them
· Used in all departments from military to police
· First computer to South Africa was in 1952
· In 1955 South Africa used computers to enforce the pass system
· In 1970 South Africa had 400 computer with a total value of more than $100 million
· Grew to 4,500 computers in 1982
· In 1977 only the U.S. and Britain spent more percentage of gross national product than South Africa
· More than 95% of South African computers were imported
· Most computers sold to South Africa were by U.S. companies
· This was against U.S. law
· IBM was a major component in South Africa’s computer market
· IBM South Africa sales rose 250% in 1978
· IBM sales to South Africa were about $300 million a year in 1982
· IBM had 1,500 workers in South Africa, but less than 20% of them were Black or Asian
· IBM knew that their products were being used to infringe on human rights, but denied the claims to the international community
· Computers tracked the passbooks of more than 25 million black South Africans.
· IBM computers track the personal information of more than 7 million colored people
· Such information was kept like fingerprints, photos, place of work, and marital status
· Fingerprints used to link colored and black people to crime
· City planning software was used to design black townships, but the townships were designed to allow the most effective way for the police to invade
· Military used computers for most tasks
· Military had a shortage of personal because only whites could serve
· U.S. exported computers for the purpose of “inventory maintenance”


Allen, Robert, Tove Martin, Deepak Gupta, Cale Carter, and Monal Chokshi. "Apartheid Regime in South Africa." Spring 1995. Stanford. 14 Sept. 2008 .