Africa Going Global: The Reverse Innovation Perspective

Abstract

Reverse innovations from developing countries have changed the course of innovation globally in recent times from the status quo. Innovations developed to meet the needs of emerging markets are also routed to the developed countries. Although, Africa is lagging behind, the developing countries in Asia are taking advantage of their reverse innovations to internationalize globally. This study has adopted the traditional approach of literature review to develop an argument for and also to emphasize the importance of reverse innovation for Africa globalization in order to build and or bridge the gap on existing knowledge in the area of innovation management. Thirty-one quality articles with the following terms and concepts from extant literature such as; innovation, reverse innovation, frugal innovation, good enough innovation, trickle-up innovation, bottom of pyramid (BOP) innovation, low-cost innovation products, value innovation, jugaad innovation, and cost innovation products were identified and used for the literature review. This approach of the traditional literature review is adequate based on the scope of this research work. In this study, the pathway for African countries to achieve internationalization through reverse innovations are elaborated thus; availability of skilled human capital, the partnership of local firms with MNCs, integration, conforming with regulations and standards, country of origin effect redress, development of SMART reverse innovation products, top-down government support, constitution of African country-specific innovation ecosystem, less imitation among African entrepreneurs, and proper succession plan by firms. However, very few African context-specific drivers of reverse innovations such as less imitation among African entrepreneurs, proper succession plans by firms, and country of origin effect redress have been identified among the pathway factors to internationalization listed in this study. It is also found that the major reverse innovations from developing countries are from Asia. Hence, the focus on Africa in this study. Managers of firms and generally, entrepreneurs should recognize their importance as agents that can foster reverse innovations in Africa. Agents that make up the innovation ecosystem should uphold innovation at all levels and at different capacities. For Africa to make headway in the international market, the local firms and entrepreneurs should engage in the production of reverse innovation products.