Conclusions and Reflections

As this collection establishes, the study of participatory media cultures within South Africa is timely and essential. The contributors to this book challenge us to re-evaluate what participation means as a series of situated, often untidy negotiations shaped by power, politics, and precarity.

In the three sections of this book – Digital Connections, Political Engagement, and Entrepreneurship and Identity – we perceive the scope and complexity of participatory practices. What comes to the fore in this collection is that participatory media play a crucial role in the shaping of identities and socio-political transformation in African contexts. This is evident in the work of several chapters, including those that explore how young South African women use Instagram to negotiate beauty ideals (Webster and Gibson) and how township businesses leverage social media to reverse economic flows (Ponono). These studies show that participation through these platforms allows for marginalised individuals to assert their identities and to resist hegemonic cultural norms.