The Sunday News
Mugove Hamadziripi
TODAY’s necessity is not only the mother of invention, but of digital transformation, innovation, and the adoption of new habits.
The Covid-19 pandemic is primarily a health crisis and a human tragedy, but it also has far-reaching economic ramifications. In Zimbabwe, it has disrupted millions of people’s livelihoods, with disproportionate impact on poor households and small and informal businesses—and the disruption pace has been accelerating since early 2020, and into the unforeseeable future.
Fighting Covid-19 is now the world’s top necessity, and therefore, its number one accelerator of innovation.
Ironically, the pandemic has created the right time and environment for small businesses or entrepreneurs alike to launch or at least test their innovative start-up ideas.
As we slide towards the future, it should be noted that development will be driven and led by the transformation in lifestyles, consumption behaviour, and evolving demands. The ongoing shifts will bring about new opportunities and modalities for start-ups and SMEs in Zimbabwe and beyond.
In developing economies like Zimbabwe, development players need to embrace these select opportunities including studying new trends and development needs that are shaping the forthcoming innovation scene and supporting industries with the biggest potential to grow during and after the pandemic.
In this whole scenario, businesses are expected to maintain their same strategic aims, to adapt to the ever-changing demand and uncertainty of the current situation. Importantly, as long as the innovation is serving the emerging needs of humanity, then it will most likely persist and last.
People will carry on with their normal life, seeking to satisfy the same needs, but this time, in a different manner.
It should be noted that, if an innovative product is useful during the crisis, people will adopt it.
They will learn how to use it, realise its efficiency, and look for it during and even after the pandemic.
The longer the pandemic lasts, the more people are likely to adopt and stick to new habits.
As of today, our Zimbabwean economy just like most countries, has moved into a level of “Restricted Living”.
Governments imposed strict lockdowns. Consequently, the market will likely flounder for a longer period at this level compared to developed markets. In doing so, enterprises should be supported to either adjust to the new market size or pivot their business models according to emerging market needs.
During and after the pandemic, consumers value essential products and services that keep them healthy:
economically, physically, and mentally. They look for offerings that keep them safe, less anxious, virtually-connected, and motivated. They are more than ever open to new ideas as they adopt new habits.
One day, the Covid-19 crisis will be over, life will go back to normal incrementally, bringing with it many of the changes that Zimbabwean consumers embraced during the crisis. Online shopping will still interest shoppers, as well as hygiene and high-tech products.
During this time, innovation has become a necessity for all contemporary businesses that want to survive in a Covid-19 blanketed world characterised by immense competition, technological changes, and above all, recurring crises. The concept of innovation refers to the use of new technology or new management practices in an organisation to achieve a targeted improvement in its operations.
From a small business perspective, innovation commonly indicates new products or processes that address customer needs more competitively and profitably than existing ones. The term “innovative practices” refers to the effective implementation of new solutions to challenges faced by small businesses, which include effective implementation of new ideas in relation to the organisation’s product, services, or processes; new marketing mechanisms; or new administrative practices for work amelioration and upgraded performance.
There are several types of innovation which include product innovations, process innovations, market innovations, organisational innovations, and technical innovations. Product innovation implies using knowledge and/or technology to create new or modified products or services to improve the company’s competitive advantage and its likelihood of success.
Process innovation refers to the adoption of new production or placement methods, technique, mechanisms, or procedures for cost reduction or quality improvement. For Zimbabwean enterprises or businesses, the main drive behind innovation in enterprises is to open new horizons for the organisation by enhancing efficiency, increasing performance, achieving a competitive advantage, and expanding market share and by adding improved products, performing efficient processes, and entering promising markets. All of these changes will likely lead to lower costs, enhanced productivity, and increased sales growth.
Empirical evidence suggests that innovative organisations are characterised by rapid and steady growth, competent employees, and ambitious plans. Previous studies also demonstrated that innovation is an essential tool for improving the enterprise’s performance and developing a competitive advantage. Therefore, innovation plays a major role in achieving an enterprise’s goals of success, survival, and continuity in the face of Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. It can also be argued that innovation has the potential to repair damage done to the organisation due to environmental crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mugove Hamadziripi writes about/ consults on Development, Media, Urbanism, ERP, Communications, Community, Policy / Politics, Sustainability and the Environment. He consults with the Centre for Impact Evaluation and Research Design and Erongo Consulting Group. He can be reached at, Twitter: @mhamadziripi.
