It’s extraordinary when you think about how the world is connected by unseen, undersea cables. Right now, there are at least 530 active and planned submarine cables that sit at the bottom of the ocean floor, connecting every continent (except Antarctica). While some cables are relatively short, the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable network is close to 39 000km in length and sends data between 33 countries and four continents. But who chooses where these cables go? And who decides who is connected, or not, in the ever-expanding global knowledge economy? These are just some of the complex questions about cables and connections that Professor Jess Auerbach, who currently directs the M.Phil in Inclusive Innovation at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business, is researching.

“I lived in Angola, Mozambique and Mauritius, but I also spent a bit of time in Zambia and Ghana,” she says. “I have quite a lot of experience, as well as exposure, to the real nuances of everyday life in different African countries.” But it was living in South America that sparked Auerbach’s current research.