Browsing by Author "Mangqalaza, Hlokoma"
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- ItemThe social innovation systems approach for sustainable development in an African urban informal settlement(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-12) Mangqalaza, Hlokoma; Musango, Josephine Kaviti; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.ENGLISH SUMMARY : Seeking innovative approaches to addressing social problems demands creative activities that differ from those associated with improved financial processes and the introduction of technologies to industrial ventures mainly intended for economic spinoffs – although there are some innovations intended for social transformation through collective action that are still related to technological and entrepreneurial initiatives. Other ways of seeking improved socioeconomic prospects and development activities in disadvantaged communities have resulted in a greater population shift to urban areas. This tends to result in socioeconomic challenges such as overpopulation, poor access to social services (housing, electricity and water) and unemployment. The social complexities that result from large-scale migration to urban areas demand radical, innovative solutions and methods that can cut across the adverse effects of development on the environment, while also addressing socioeconomic challenges in complex communities such as informal settlements. In 2016, the United Nations (UN) identified sustainable development goals (SDGs) as one of the radical approaches to address socioeconomic challenges in complex communities such as informal settlements. This study presents the argument that, to achieve sustainable development goals in African urban informal settlements, the actors involved in the process should function as social innovation systems. The literature reviewed for this work advocated a framework that focused on the spatial, economic/entrepreneurial, interactive and firm- or industry-level aspects from which innovative activities stem in theory and practice in urban informal settlements. Findings from the literature reviewed demonstrated that objectives of social innovation systems resonated with the sustainable development goals in African urban informal settlements. For this study, interviews, focus groups, observations, documentation and archival records were employed to gather evidence on the iShack project social innovation system case study. The iShack Project was identified as a social innovation initiative whose main function was to provide electrical power in the form of renewable energy (solar panels) at Enkanini informal settlement in Stellenbosch in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Empirical evidence revealed that the social innovation system established through the iShack Project occurred in different phases, namely the initiation, intermediary and stability phases. A top-down intervention was implemented during the initiation and intermediary phases. These phases relied predominantly on research development, availability of science and technology, and interaction and trust established between the organisations and institutions at local, regional and national level. The participants’ ease of access to resources and services of the iShack Project ensured the sustainability of this social innovation system for the community. Institutional bottom-up interventions were also operative during the initiation, intermediary and stability phases. Perceptions gathered from the beneficiaries and providers of the innovation further revealed that addressing a social problem could simultaneously result in long-term and temporary solutions, and that income generation for the iShack project was mostly necessary to take care of financial obligations (such as salaries). Lastly, findings revealed that the social innovation system established through the iShack Project was instrumental in addressing social challenges, which resulted in the realisation of more sustainable goals that were beyond the scope of providing energy. This work contributes to existing literature by identifying a social innovation system that can be applied to address sustainable development goals in a typical African urban informal settlement.