The future of Africa is bright. Innovation, and not aid, is the answer.

McLean Sibanda believes that Africa must be deliberate about its economic development and that change requires champions, and importantly, fertile enabling environments.

In Nuts & Bolts you will gain unique perspectives on challenges faced by leaders overseeing a turnaround in any organisation, and the thought processes behind innovation initiatives that yielded value.

McLean provides practical insights on innovation and entrepreneurship for Africa’s development through a narrative of his seven years of repositioning Sub-Saharan Africa’s first internationally recognised Science and Technology Park, The Innovation Hub. Included, too, are reflections from entrepreneurs who have all gone on to build successful businesses which will be useful for anyone working on a start-up or innovation, particularly institutions set up to create new products or services. The musings of various successful entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders provide relevant context, inspiration and examples as to how best make use of support programmes provided by incubators and organisations similar to The Innovation Hub.

Nuts & Bolts is a book about hope, it is full of stories about real people and companies who are making a difference, with testimonies of entrepreneurs, experienced ecosystem builders and innovators. It captures deep insights from the considerable time McLean has spent with entrepreneurs and innovators, on the importance of inclusive innovation and entrepreneurship, and provides a mix of global experiences and entrepreneurship narratives that eloquently sketch out the ‘nuts and bolts’ for entrepreneurship and innovation.

‘I hope this book will be of value to those wanting to make a difference, or be the difference, in solving many challenges faced by our world today, and in developing new products and services to create new market opportunities for a better world.’ — McLean Sibanda