DAN BREZNITZ’S INCISIVE CRITIQUE of the endless and largely unsuccessful attempts to cut and paste the Silicon Valley innovation model is extremely welcome. But while we share his interest in equitable and inclusive development, we also think his own prescription takes a growth-oriented neoliberal paradigm too much for granted. Such a vision not only fails to reckon with environmental sustainability at a moment of acute climate crisis; it also threatens to replicate colonial legacies by further subordinating indigenous knowledge, ways of life, and cultural values. In order to decolonize global innovation thinking and practice, we look instead to indigenous worldviews such as Ubuntu in Southern Africa, Swaraj in South Asia, and Buen Vivir in South America. Together they demonstrate that a radically different kind of innovation is possible.
The fate of Kenya’s Silicon Savannah should serve as a cautionary tale about exporting Western models to the Global South. The idea of an African Silicon Valley emerged around 2011 amidst the digital technology ecosystem developing in Nairobi. The success of Nairobi’s first innovation hub inspired many imitators and drove ambitious plans by the government to build a new innovation district in the city. The term “Silicon Savannah” captured these aspirations and featured in a series of blog posts, white papers, and consultancy reports. Advocates argued that Nairobi could leapfrog other innovation centers due to lower entry barriers and cost advantages.
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