By Cynthia Kunda

Innovation isn’t a poster on the wall or a slide deck filled with trendy buzzwords. It’s the ongoing pursuit of meaningful change — a deliberate process of uncovering opportunities and creating solutions that deliver real-world value. In today’s competitive market, innovation isn’t optional; it’s the foundation of sustainable success.

At BongoHive Consult, we don’t just talk about change — we build it. Our team partners with corporates, social institutions, and universities to reimagine how they approach complex challenges. We connect insight with action, creativity with strategy, and, most importantly, ideas with people.

At the heart of our work lies a simple but powerful truth: sustainable innovation begins with empathy. It starts by deeply understanding the people behind every problem — their needs, frustrations, and aspirations — and designing solutions that respond authentically to them. This is how we create not only human-centered products and services but also enduring competitive advantage.

From Insight to Impact

Our approach rejects one-size-fits-all thinking. Every organisation is unique, and so is its innovation journey. By centering the process on internal teams and end users, we help organisations cultivate a culture of experimentation and learning — transforming abstract ideas into actionable strategies that enhance performance and efficiency.

Innovation, to us, is not a department or a phase. It’s a mindset. We equip our partners with the tools to translate ideas into measurable outcomes, ensuring that innovation investments deliver meaningful business value. Beyond solving problems, we help embed a culture where curiosity, collaboration, and human-centered thinking drive continuous value creation across industries.

Human-Centered Design in Action

Our success is measured not in presentations, but in the transformations of our partners. Human-Centered Design (HCD) has become a proven catalyst for both operational and market impact — unlocking new revenue streams, improving customer experiences, and strengthening organisational agility.

When we partnered with the University of Lusaka to deliver a comprehensive HCD course, one participant, Dalitso Phiri, founder of Growth Innovate Venture Limited, described it as a turning point. Rather than simply learning a new methodology, he used HCD to re-evaluate his entire service model — uncovering hidden customer pain points and developing solutions that built deeper client loyalty and increased lifetime value.

Another story comes from UCall Inn, a startup facing traction challenges in a crowded market. After engaging in a BongoHive fireside chat on innovation strategy, founder Benny applied key HCD principles to refine his approach. The result? Two new business partnerships — one for ambulance services and another for roadside assistance — transforming what was once a growth barrier into two new revenue streams.

“Innovation,” Benny shared, “is no longer about fixing problems. It’s about seeing them differently — and designing for real human needs.”

Beyond Ideas — Toward Measurable Value

At BongoHive Consult, we’ve seen that when people are placed at the center of problem-solving, innovation evolves from a buzzword into a powerful engine for growth, resilience, and long-term relevance.

For organisations ready to think differently and act boldly, we offer more than consultation — we offer a space to reimagine what’s possible and to design solutions that truly matter.

Are you ready to stop talking about innovation and start creating measurable value?