Inclusive innovation and inequality in South Africa: a case for transformative social policy

Abstract

South Africa's quest for inclusive innovation is encumbered by the triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment. Although the present African National Congress government has made strides to promote inclusive innovation, structural inequalities inherited from apartheid hinder the creation of a new social contract. Social policy is today receiving greater attention in the field of innovation and development. Much emphasis is placed on the important issues of reproduction, redistribution and social production. However, in the South African context the vital concern of production needs to be considered. This article argues that transformative social policy in South Africa enhances innovation through its effects on human capital and skill formation and its capacity to alleviate risk. This paper uses a transformative social policy approach in contributing to discourse around inclusive innovation in South Africa and the Global South.