Africa’s top innovation hubs
Despite the formidable challenges Sub-Saharan Africa is grappling with in terms of technological development, giant strides are being made to catch up with the rest of the world.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) report revealed that Mauritius emerged as the most innovative country in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2022, followed by South Africa, Kenya, Cape Verde and Tanzania, respectively. Here are the top 10 most-innovative countries in Africa, according to the 2022 Global Innovation Index
- Mauritius
- South Africa
- Kenya
- Cabo Verde
- Tanzania
- Namibia
- Rwanda
- Senegal
- Botswana
- Malawi
Below, we take a look at the top 5 innovative nations:
1- Mauritius
Globally, Mauritius ranks 52nd among the most innovative African countries for its human development efforts. The country has seen remarkable economic expansion, particularly in financial services, tourism, and information technology.
2- South Africa
The southernmost nation experienced innovation throughout many industries, especially in manufacturing, engineering, technology, and trade. Also, nearly 70% of South African enterprises were actively engaged in innovation.
3- Kenya
Kenya has earned the name “Africa’s Silicon Valley” due to its prominence in information technology (ICT) development. Some of its notable inventions range from placing a charger in shoes to charge your phone while you’re on the go or linking an alarm to a TV to discourage robbers.
4- Cabo Verde
Cabo Verde performed better in innovation outputs than innovation inputs in 2021. In terms of innovative inputs, Cabo Verde was 96th higher than in 2020.
5- Tanzania
In terms of innovation score, it has 25.6 points. Tanzania scored an average of 26.37 points between 2011 and 2021, with the lowest point of 23.9 in 2012. Tanzania recorded the highest point of 28.1 in 2018.
Others are aspiring too!
Meanwhile, other nations are equally making efforts to ensure they are not left out. In this context, Togo will soon host a new African Centre for Coordination and Research in Cybersecurity based in the capital city Lomé. This development comes after Togo and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) agreed to establish the regional cybersecurity information and intelligence hub.
“We are pleased to partner with ECA to further our commitment to making cybersecurity a top priority for our nations. We aim to become a significant digital hub in Africa,” Togo’s digital economy and transformation minister Cina Lawson said.
While challenges remain, African nations are fully conscious of the role of innovation as a critical driver to economic growth, hence making efforts to become innovative and relevant in today’s world.
Sources:
Business Elites Africa
Africa Business Sider
Connecting Africa