Capabilities, innovation and entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa

This paper takes a capability approach to analyze the role of entrepreneurship in the socio-economic development of present-day sub-Saharan Africa. The paper zooms in on the nature of the capabilities that are built through the development of entrepreneurship; the key challenges to the development of such capabilities in a Sub Saharan African context; and the question to what extent successful entrepreneurship in Africa entails the development of a specifically African version of such capabilities. The analysis is based on in-depth case studies of entrepreneurship and capability formation in different African countries, which offer complementary insights. The most successful cases exhibit a highly creative management strategy that is neither completely western, nor solely wedded to African traditions and values. Rather, it revolves around negotiating the interface between these socio-cultural spheres by forging new, creative mixtures in which the strengths of both are combined and conflicts and trade-offs are managed more or less successfully. In the context of the socio-cultural transformation that Africa is currently undergoing in a fast globalizing world, the mastery of this complex art by local entrepreneurs is identified as the most fundamental capability for fostering business success, human development and increased societal wellbeing.