By Taonga

Innovation is the buzzword of the moment. From mobile money revolutions to solar-powered solutions, African enterprises are tackling challenges with resourcefulness that would make MacGyver proud! But how do you systematically cultivate innovation within your business or organisation? Here are several powerful approaches to spark innovation, no matter your size or location:

Innovation Audits: Taking Stock of Your Innovation Arsenal

Before diving headfirst, assess your current innovation capabilities. An innovation audit identifies strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. This helps you focus resources on areas that will yield the most impact. For instance, a local agricultural company discovered outdated packaging processes during an innovation audit. By focusing on this area, they implemented new, eco-friendly packaging that reduced costs and improved customer satisfaction.

Business Model Innovation: Reimagining the Game

Think beyond just a new product. Business model innovation involves rethinking how you deliver value to your customers. Take Jumia, the “Amazon of Africa,” which created an e-commerce platform leveraging mobile technology to reach a broader audience in a market with limited retail access. They utilised tools like the Business Model Canvas to map out and adapt their strategy effectively.

User Research: Understanding Your Customers

Don’t guess what your customers need—ask them! User research, like surveys, interviews, and focus groups, helps uncover their pain points and desires. M-Kopa, a pay-as-you-go solar energy provider, successfully used user research to understand rural customer needs and developed a flexible payment model that skyrocketed their success. Tailoring the approach to cultural contexts ensures the reliability of feedback.

Rapid Prototyping: Fail Fast, Learn Faster

Don’t get caught up in lengthy development cycles. Rapid prototyping allows you to create quick, low-cost versions of your ideas, enabling you to test concepts with real users, gather feedback, and iterate quickly. A tech startup, for example, developed a prototype for a mobile app in just two weeks and used iterative testing and feedback loops to make significant improvements before the final launch.

Break Down the Walls: Embrace Open Innovation

Innovation thrives on collaboration. Partner with universities, startups, or even competitors. This “open innovation” approach unlocks a wealth of knowledge and expertise beyond your company’s walls. At BongoHive Consult, we frequently collaborate with clients and partners to launch public idea-sourcing initiatives, tackling their toughest challenges and fueling groundbreaking solutions that benefit everyone.

We’d love to hear from you! Share an innovation challenge you are facing or a unique solution you have implemented. What strategies have you found most effective in fostering innovation within your organisation?

Our innovation unit specialises in digital and corporate innovation consulting, delivering tailored solutions to start-ups, small businesses, and corporations. We assist organisations in developing products and services that resonate with their customers. By leveraging strategy, creativity, sector-specific insights, and advanced technology, we apply our extensive experience with high-growth ventures to collaboratively create the future.

Are you interested in exploring these approaches? Contact us today at [email protected]. 

Remember, innovation is a journey, not a destination. By incorporating these approaches, you can empower your team to become African (or global) innovation champions!