A Taxonomy to Understand Scaling of Innovation by African Enterprises

Chris Armstrong,Jeremy De Beer

doi:10.23962/10539/31370

Abstract

Grounded in empirical research findings and key statements in the literature, this article proposes a four-part taxonomy for mapping African knowledge-based enterprises’ efforts to achieve scale. The taxonomy, adapted from the framework proposed by Uvin et al. (2000), is comprised of scaling by expanding coverage; by broadening activities; by changing behaviour; and by building sustainability. The article sets out the framework and provides examples of the four scaling dimensions from empirical research conducted in Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Botswana, and South Africa.

Highlights

There is general agreement in African innovation ecosystems—among policymakers, private-sector players, non-profit entities, researchers, academics, and others—that a successful innovation is one that can “scale” or “scale up”
Not enough attention is given to what scaling entails, and what it looks like when it is happening, on the ground in African innovation settings
We present a taxonomy of four scaling dimensions—expanding coverage; broadening activities; changing behaviour; and building sustainability—that revealed themselves during the course of the exploration of the literature and of the case study findings

Summary

Introduction

There is general agreement in African innovation ecosystems—among policymakers, private-sector players, non-profit entities, researchers, academics, and others—that a successful innovation is one that can “scale” or “scale up”. There is a marked difference between the process of taking a new commercial business to market and the process of increasing the effectiveness of a health information campaign. Both involve, at least to some extent, scaling of an innovation. The aim of this article is to set out a taxonomy of scaling that captures the realities of the two examples just cited, and of the myriad other ways in which African innovators are seeking, and achieving scale. We present a taxonomy of four scaling dimensions—expanding coverage; broadening activities; changing behaviour; and building sustainability—that revealed themselves during the course of the exploration of the literature and of the case study findings.

Objectives

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion