The Emergence of Systems of Innovation in South(ern) Africa

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Long Histories and Contemporary Debates

The Emergence of Systems of Innovation in South(ern) Africa traces the history of innovations from precolonial times and examines precolonial settlements in southern Africa such as Mapungubwe in Limpopo Province, Bokoni in Mpumalanga Province and Msuluzi in KwaZulu-Natal Province from the perspective of their indigenous technological efforts to harness nature for communal benefit.

The question addressed in this study is the existence, nature and the evolution of systems of innovation in science and technology-based economies in Southern Africa. The study critically re-evaluates industrial, technological and innovation processes as well as the complexities which arise because of the interdependencies and embedded nature of these sectors within the economy.

The book is organised in two sections, the first discussing the chronological history of innovation while the second addresses several critical aspects of the post-apartheid national system of innovation. It is informed by the understanding that national systems of innovation evolve and take shape against the backdrop of regional, continental and global macrosocial dynamics, including corresponding systems of innovation.