Independent Intermediate

Uses regular calls to stay in touch with family and customers. May use WhatsApp to send and receive voice notes with known contacts, with limited exploration beyond this. May passively access Facebook through borrowed devices.

Primarily consumes social media content passively when she has access via a shared device. Entertainment may centre on music and video content shared via Bluetooth, Xender, or memory cards. May use offline apps such as Bible apps, games, or basic photo filters, with engagement oriented toward consumption rather than posting or active participation.

May come across information incidentally but does not typically search widely across platforms. May use WhatsApp groups to share with known networks and ask specific questions.

Uses M-Pesa for transactions and may engage with related services such as Pochi accounts or savings features within the M-Pesa ecosystem.

Engagement is largely passive and oriented toward consumption rather than self-promotion or active personal expression.

Does not typically engage in financial or health tracking on digital devices. 

Unlikely to have had her own phone in childhood but may have accessed phones belonging to parents, older siblings or friends.

May buy basic or feature phones on her own. Smartphones ownership is likely rare and may be the result of a partner or other family member upgrading their phone. 

May use shared or household phones. While this provides access, privacy may be limited. During access gaps, she may insert her SIM into another person’s phone.

Early exposure to digital is limited and education levels are moderate. However, high lteracy levels may compensate a little allowing them to pick up essential digital skills as adults.

Learns by observing other women, husbands, children, friends, or neighbours. May explore independently but can be hesitant to ask for help. Learns through repeated demonstrations and may require ongoing facilitation that, at times, comes from a child or friend.

May require assistance with tasks beyond the basics, including social media navigation or loading airtime and data bundles.

Children may assist with more complex tasks, while husbands, friends, or close contacts may provide regular support. M-Pesa agents and similar intermediaries may also play a role.

Disruptions may be particularly acute when dependent on M-Pesa for employment or nano-enterprise. Temporary solutions may include borrowing devices or inserting her SIM into another phone for essential transactions.

May also be more exposed to damage, loss, or theft due to work conditions. Ownership of lower-quality or second-hand devices may increase the likelihood of recurring technical issues. May experience long digital gaps due to phone downgrades, leading to erosion of competence.

Rare smartphone ownership is often facilitated by pay-as-you-use credit schemes. In these cases device locking due to missed payments is a siginificant challenge and can happen often. 

Airtime or data may be purchased in short-term bundles (even as little as 30 mins validity) and maximise usage during active periods, for example by downloading content for later viewing. Actively managing data costs is an ongoing concern, with provider data credit facilities extensively used.

May not always have reliable charging facilities at home and may depend on neighbours or nearby charging centres. Disruptions may occur but are often short-lived where infrastructure is accessible. Older devices or degraded batteries may contribute to faster battery drain.

Primarily concerned with M-Pesa privacy and the risk of financial fraud.

Aware of risks but may take limited protective action. May self-restrict in response to fear or low confidence and sometimes rely on children or trusted others to manage privacy.