Disruptive technologies, innovation and transformation in Africa: The present and future

Abstract

One major contribution from modernization theorists to the development discourse is the role of technology. As a dynamic phenomenon, technology is crucial in social change and essential in addressing the African development agenda. Today, disruptive technologies are changing the business environment and large well-established companies are finding it increasingly difficult to deal with powerful new technologies. The pace at which technology is transforming our lives is exponential. Entire industries are disrupted as new business models emerge. Regulators, businesses and individuals alike must adapt, or risk becoming irrelevant. The introductory chapter to this volume sets the stage for the subsequent chapters, teasing out the nuanced mixture of perspectives and issues to enhance our understanding of the role of disruptive technologies and innovation in Africa and the related implications for the region’s development prospects. The chapter, in so doing, highlights the wide spectrum of competing and complementary paradigms, varying and rich views on disruptive technologies, to contribute to the extant discourse on whether disruptive technologies are helping or undermining development processes on the African continent.