The Eclipse Foundation, one of the world’s largest open source
foundations, has announced the release of its latest
community-supported strategic research report, “State of Open
Source in the Global South.” This first-of-its-kind survey focuses
on underserved and underreported developer communities to
understand their use of open source technologies and the impact on
local economies. The regions, collectively referred to as the
Global South as defined by the United Nations Conference on Trade
and Development (UNCTAD), include Africa, Latin America and the
Caribbean, Asia (excluding Israel, Japan, and South Korea), and
Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand). These regions are
increasingly participating in the global open source community and
contributing to open source projects around the world.
“Our research indicates there is already serious momentum for
open source in the Global South, as well as the potential for
significantly more growth,” said Thabang Mashologu, vice president,
Community and Outreach at the Eclipse Foundation. "Developers in
these regions are not only creating practical solutions to meet
local needs, but are also becoming increasingly influential
contributors to global open source projects, enriching the overall
ecosystem with their unique perspectives. This report provides
strong evidence that the next wave of tech innovation may very well
emerge from the Global South."
Industry research, such as the GitHub Octoverse Report 2023, has
previously identified tremendous growth and potential across many
of the Global South developer communities. This survey, conducted
from May 14 to May 28, 2024, among 423 software developers and
policymakers, aligns with these findings.
The purpose of this report was multifaceted: to explore the
attitudes and opinions of developers in the Global South and to
amplify the voices of these vital and influential communities
contributing to global innovation. Our findings highlight the
substantial potential and impact of developers in the Global South,
both within their countries, as well as on the global open source
ecosystem. Key findings from the survey include:
- Active Contributions and
Leadership: 37% of respondents are contributors, 28% are
maintainers, and 22% are creators of open source projects. 77% of
respondents use OSS, indicating a strong foundation for further
engagement and innovation. The top industries represented among
respondents are Information Technology (54%), Financial Services
(9%), Telecommunications (7%), Healthcare (5%), and Wholesale &
Retail (4%).
- OSS Adoption
Drivers: Increasing OSS use in the Global South involves
informing, empowering, and supporting developers. Key factors for
driving adoption include implementing security best practices
(63%), providing opportunities for career growth (61%), delivering
good documentation (61%), and utilising open source licences
(60%).
- Progress and
Opportunity: OSS drives local benefits and opportunities
in key areas, such as improved educational opportunities (64%), the
development of a stronger software developer workforce (62%), and
increased entrepreneurship and innovation (56%).
- Positive Societal
Impact: More mature OSS communities report greater
positive impacts far beyond just software development, including
economic growth, innovation, and enabling women to build skills and
careers. Respondents identified the top societal impacts of
open source software as improving innovation (61%), enhancing
economic growth and work opportunities (55%), and increasing access
to quality education (50%).
- Economic Growth
Potential: 59% of developers strongly agree that OSS will
play a significant role in their country’s economic growth over the
next 10 years.
- UN Involvement in
DPGs: Policymakers we spoke to are aware of the United
Nations’ involvement in Digital Public Goods (DPGs) and see the UN
as a facilitator for collaboration and promoting OSS projects that
fit the DPG definition. They advocate for partnerships with OSS
foundations to govern and promote DPG-qualifying projects.
The impact of OSS extends beyond the tech sector. It
democratises access to cutting-edge technology, enables skill
development, fosters economic growth, and reduces gender
inequality. However, to fully unlock this potential, concerted
efforts are needed. Governments, donors, NGOs, open source groups,
foundations, and local and global entrepreneurs must collaborate to
provide infrastructure, mentorship, training, funding, and job
opportunities. These efforts are crucial to nurture and support the
immense talent present in the Global South.
Recommendations
The survey contains recommendations for key stakeholders to help
maximise the potential of open source development in the Global
South:
- For Developers:
Actively engage with the open source community to build your skills
and network. Leverage the numerous opportunities for collaboration
and learning for career growth and innovation.
- For Policymakers:
Support OSS by providing infrastructure and resources. Collaborate
with community groups and OSS foundations to promote sustainable
development goals and innovation in your region.
- For Business
Leaders: Offer grants, sponsorships, and funding for OSS
projects and foundations relevant to your business. Organise local
workshops, hackathons, and meetups to foster collaboration.
Identify potential employees based on their contributions to OSS
projects.
The survey includes respondents from Argentina, Brazil, Chile,
Colombia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, India, Indonesia, Kenya,
Lesotho, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, the Philippines, Singapore,
South Africa, Thailand, and Vietnam. The research was fielded in
English, Spanish, and Portuguese. The survey was conducted with the
support of ClearPath Strategies, a global research and consulting
firm, and fielded in partnership with Open Source Community Africa
and FOSSASIA.
The survey data provide further insights into developer choices
for OSS technologies, preferred programming languages, and the
challenges they face. In the spirit of sharing and advancing
learning, the report will be distributed freely under the Creative
Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License.
The entire report can be downloaded here.
Join Us at OSPOs for Good (July 9 & 10)
The Eclipse Foundation will present these findings and discuss
how OSS can be leveraged to drive sustainable development at the
OSPOs for Good conference at UN headquarters in New York City on
July 9 & 10, where our executive director Mike Milinkovich will
be a speaker.
Open Source for Policymaking Workshop (July
8)
The Eclipse Foundation, in partnership with Open Forum Europe
and the Digital Public Goods Alliance, will host a workshop in New
York City titled “Government Spotlight: Policymaking and Strategy
for Building Open Source Ecosystems.” This workshop is specifically
designed for mid-level to senior policymakers in governments and
international NGOs to share lessons learned and best practices in
using open source technologies in public administration. The venue
for this event is the historic Great Hall at The Cooper Union for
the Advancement of Science and Art, New York City. We are grateful
for their generous support.
Learn more at the Open Community Experience (OCX), a
transformative open source developer conference from 22-24 October
2024 in Mainz, Germany. Visit the OCX website for sponsorship and
participation details.
Quotations from Community and Research
Partners
Open Source Community Africa
"Africa is brimming with talented developers ready to contribute
to global innovation. This report highlights their potential and
the critical need for support and resources to help them thrive,"
said Bolaji Ayodeji, Community Manager at Open Source Community
Africa.
FOSSASIA
“Our partnership with the Eclipse Foundation on this survey has
further illuminated the incredible contributions of developers in
Asia. We look forward to further collaboration to support and
empower these communities,” said Hong Phuc Dang, founder of
FOSSASIA.
Digital Public Goods Alliance
“The findings in this report dispel the myth that developing
economies lack the capacity to leverage open source technologies,
including digital public goods, to give people access to basic
services, accelerate the attainment of the SDGs, and spur
innovation,” said Lea Gimpel, Director of AI and Country
Engagement, at the Digital Public Goods Alliance. “Global majority
countries have been at the forefront, showcasing the potential of
open source. This report underscores the importance of continuing
and growing the support for open-source initiatives globally and
rethinking funding narratives from catalytic funding to long-term
infrastructure funding.”
ClearPath Strategies
“This research highlights the incredible dedication and
potential within open source developer communities. These
developers are poised for significant breakthroughs on their own
terms, and with the right support, they can achieve remarkable
success,” said John Garrett, Founder and Partner at ClearPath
Strategies.
About the Eclipse Foundation
The Eclipse Foundation provides our global community of
individuals and organisations with a business-friendly environment
for open source software collaboration and innovation. We host the
Eclipse IDE, Adoptium, Software Defined Vehicle, Jakarta EE, and
over 415 open source projects, including runtimes, tools,
specifications, and frameworks for cloud and edge applications,
IoT, AI, automotive, systems engineering, open processor designs,
and many others. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, the Eclipse
Foundation is an international non-profit association supported by
over 360 members. Visit us at this year’s Open Community Experience
(OCX) conference on 22-24 October 2024 in Mainz, Germany. To learn
more, follow us on social media @EclipseFdn, LinkedIn, or visit
eclipse.org.
About ClearPath Strategies
ClearPath Strategies is a boutique research and strategy firm
that helps organisations and leaders around the world navigate
complexity and make informed decisions. Partnering with clients of
all sizes, ClearPath applies its roots in international politics
and their campaign thinking to the challenges faced by some of the
world's leading organisations, from Airbnb and Uber, to the Eclipse
Foundation and Google, to C40 and the Waverely Street
Foundation.
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