Africa’s game changers and the catalysts of social and system innovation

Abstract

ABSTRACT. It is widely recognized that many African economies are being transformed by rapid economic growth driven largely by rising demand for the abundant natural resources scattered across the African continent. I critically review the mainstream gamechanging dynamics driving this process, with special reference to a set of influential policy-oriented documents. This is followed by an analysis of less-recognized game-changing dynamics that have, in turn, been affected by the mainstream game-changing dynamics. These less-recognized game-changing dynamics include energy infrastructure challenges in a context of climate change, securing access to water, access to arable soils, slum urbanism, and food security responses. These mainstream and less-recognized game-changing dynamics provide the context for analyzing a range of African actor networks engaged in social and system innovations. I use a transdisciplinary framework to discuss these actor networks and how they construct their understanding of the game changers affecting their programs and actions. Based on a case study of the iShack initiative in Stellenbosch, South Africa, I conclude that social and system innovations will need to be driven by transformation knowledge co-produced by researchers and social actors who can actively link game-changing dynamics that operate at multiple scales with local-level innovations with potential societal impacts.

Game-changers and transformative social innovation

“…The paper by Swilling (2016) elaborates a constructivist understanding of game changing dynamics, as something brought about by and invoked through social processes. Game-changing dynamics are defined as complex processes of change that specific actors invoke to justify their particular set of proposed social and system innovations.…”

“…Because this challenge to the electricity provision game seemed unsolvable through regular grid management strategies, alternative ideas about the field gained traction. Socio-technical and social-ecological intertwinements are brought out in the discussion by Swilling (2016) of five actor networks that are active in creating a renewables-based electricity system, fighting land grabbing and soil degradation, overcoming food insecurity and water scarcities, and finally in providing better housing with infrastructure facilities in illegals slums. Prasad (2016) considers the agricultural and ecological crises to open up spaces for social (-technical) innovations such as the System of Rice Intensification to emerge.…”

“…According to Swilling (2016), the commodity boom is the mega-game-changing dynamic driving the overarching need for structural transformation, which will require more than modernization through industrialization. Swilling notes the importance of science in generating transformative knowledge through transdisciplinary research projects.…”

“…It contrasts social innovation with the dominant technocratic innovation paradigm and highlights the importance of a diversity of practices, heterogeneity of networks, and new research paradigms. Swilling (2016) investigates "game-changing dynamics" in Africa making a distinction between mainstream dynamics such as the commodity boom that started at the millennium and lessrecognized dynamics in the form of social and system innovation responses to water scarcities, land grabbing, soil degradation, slum urbanism, energy poverty, and food insecurity. A case is presented of a project involving the building of shacks equipped with energy and water utilities in an illegal settlement in South Africa.…”

Coproduced game-changing in transformative social innovation: reconnecting the “broken city” of Rio de Janeiro

“…This contribution underlines that game-changers are coproduced phenomena. Following Swilling (2016) and Pel et al (2016), we think that any understanding of game-changers needs to be informed by an intimate knowledge of the game-changing process in which certain developments, events, actors, or institutions are acquiring their game-changing powers.…”