Unlocking innovation in the township economy by helping entrepreneurs to scale their ideas

When I look back at my upbringing and how we have continually forged ahead as people, one resounding truth stands out: progress is impossible without enterprise and innovation. 

Growing up in a township, we were constantly exposed to our parents and grandparents finding ingenious ways to navigate our tough circumstances, which often meant having limited resources. Their deep desire to provide solutions for their families put them in a position to innovate with the little they had in order to build sustainability. Innovation wasn’t just a buzzword; it was a necessity.

 In this context, it’s crucial to shine a light on the essence of innovation, which I see as the confluence of two ideologies. True innovation emerges when diverse ways of thinking collide, much like the fusion of a camera and a phone. Innovation is the process of bringing about new ideas, methods, and solutions that will have an impact and value. However, the challenge is that we have limited support interventions on innovation simply to focus on technological innovations. 

This is a limited view because we are focused on the substance and not the form. The real focus should be on understanding how communities do things, how they have evolved processes to build value, and the creative ways they have applied the use of discarded materials and resources to give them meaning in an innovative new light.

Repurposed

• Exposure to new ways of thinking: we must be open-minded and willing to expose township entrepreneurs to new perspectives. This exposure is the first step in sparking innovative ideas.


• Exposure to new environments and processes: sometimes, seeing how things are made or done differently can lead to “aha” moments. We need to facilitate this exposure.


• Networking across diverse spaces: by connecting township entrepreneurs with different networks, we can foster the exchange of ideas and inspire groundbreaking innovations.