Africa’s innovation landscape is thriving, but the way we measure it hasn’t kept pace. Too often, global rankings and industry scorecards use metrics built for developed economies – valuing unicorn valuations, patent counts and VC funding above all else.
While these indicators work in Silicon Valley, they miss the ingenuity shaping Africa’s markets – from drought-proof farming systems to IOT-enabled waste collection in underserved municipalities.
The gaps in global measurement frameworks
Current innovation indices typically track:
- R&D spend
- Number of tech start-ups
- Patent applications
- Venture capital raised
These benchmarks overlook the frugal, scalable and locally adapted solutions that thrive in resource-constrained environments. In South Africa, true innovation often means:
- Agritech impact: Low-cost sensor networks conserving water and boosting yields
- Supply chain resilience: Asset tracking that works in informal logistics
- Smart cities at ground level: IOT bins optimising waste collection without high-cost infrastructure
These solutions deliver measurable social and economic benefits – even if they don’t appear in traditional rankings.
Sigfox SA’s role in scaling impact
Sigfox South Africa’s low-power, wide-area network (LPWAN) is designed for exactly this environment:
- Cost-effective: Affordable devices and connectivity open IOT to more markets
- Simple to deploy: Plug-and-play for rapid roll-out without specialist skills
- Wide coverage: Reaches rural and underserved areas where traditional networks fail
This accessibility allows municipalities, SMEs and industries to adopt IOT without prohibitive capital investment – unlocking use cases that directly improve service delivery and operational efficiency.
Evidence for change
A 2025 study published in Innovation and Development by Egbetokun, Adeyeye, Kruss, Petersen and Sanni found that most African innovation indicators are adapted from high-income contexts and fail to reflect informal, frugal and locally driven solutions.
“Innovation in Africa often happens under the radar – in farms, markets, workshops and neighbourhoods – yet these are rarely counted in global metrics.” — Egbetokun et al., 2025
Building metrics that matter
To better represent Africa’s innovation reality, we need alternative benchmarks:
Looking ahead
Africa doesn’t need to replicate Silicon Valley’s playbook – it can define its own. By focusing on inclusive, context-aware metrics, we can highlight the solutions that matter most: those improving lives, boosting resilience and driving sustainable growth.
Sigfox SA’s work proves that when the right infrastructure meets local innovation, the results are transformative. The challenge now is for policymakers, investors and industry to measure – and support – innovation where it’s making the biggest difference.
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