The Global Innovation Index 2020 Report, How Tanzania Fairs — Sahara Ventures.
The Global Innovation Index 2020 report is out. This year's report focuses on innovation financing themed “ Who Will Finance Innovation”. The report is used to produce key insights into local, regional, and global innovation ecosystems, analyzing trends, and providing recommendations. Tanzania is among the countries that have been ranked in the past few years.
The GII report 2020 comes with a piece of good news to Tanzania’s innovation ecosystem. In the top 3 innovation economies by region, in Sub-Saharan Africa, the country ranks 3rd just behind South Africa/Mauritius (1st) and Kenya (2nd). In 2020, the top 5 economies in the region are Mauritius (52nd), South Africa (60th), Kenya (86th), the United Republic of Tanzania (88th), and Botswana (89th).
In the low-income economy countries categories in 2019, Tanzania was ranked 3rd just behind Rwanda(1) and Senegal(2). In 2020, Tanzania ranks above both countries in this category at the 1st position just above Rwanda (2nd) and Nepal (3rd). The United Republic of Tanzania tops the low-income group (88th), gaining nine positions since last year and two positions within this group.
Just to be clear, currently, Tanzania is in the low-middle income economy category economic wise. The low-middle income economy category is led by Vietnam in the 1st position and the top 10 is closed by Kenya in the10th position. Item of index scoring positions Kenya is 86th position and Tanzania is in the 88th position. If the country were to be ranked within our current status, a low-middle income economy. Tanzania will possibly be just outside the top 10 of the low-middle income economy. Hence the performance is commendable for both categories of low-income economy category and the low-middle income economy category.
The report has clustered innovation performance at different income levels, 2020 in three categories; above expectations for the level of development, In line with the level of development, and all other economies. Tanzania’s performance has been clustered is among those who have performed above expectations inline with the level of development.
Tanzania also has been clustered among economies that are outperforming on innovation relative to their peers'. Tanzania is among the countries in the group of innovation achievers together with 7 other economies; Bulgaria, Serbia, Tunisia, Jamaica, Morocco, Madagascar, and Niger. The last time Tanzania was in this group was in 2017.
In terms of the individual score by category, Tanzania has scored very well in Creative Output (45) but there is a need for improvement in Business Sophistication (118) and Human Capital and Research (126). Other scores include Institutions (101), Infrastructure (105), Knowledge and Technology Output (106), and Market Sophistication (87).
Possibly, Tanzania could even perform better if the innovation metrics were generated systematically. Commented in the report “It is worth noting that although Tanzania’s data coverage is satisfactory, it could benefit greatly from updating its innovation metrics more systematically”. This is a very commendable performance for Tanzania Innovation Ecosystem even though a lot of work still needs to be done. Sahara Ventures would like to congrats all those who are working hard to build Tanzania’s innovation and digital entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Sahara Ventures | Building Innovation Ecosystems.
Disclaimer | All the data and insights published in this summary insight publication has been cited from The Global Innovation Index Report 2020 that can be accessed here.
