The Maker Movement in Gauteng Province, South Africa
Open AIR Working Paper 6 (published 6 June 2017)
By Erika Kraemer-Mbula (UJ) and Chris Armstrong (Wits LINK Centre)
This Working Paper for the Open African Innovation Research Partnership (Open AIR) sets out findings from research by Kraemer-Mbula and Armstrong into the dynamics of the emerging “maker” movement in Gauteng Province. The authors position the maker movement as a potentially strong contributor to, and manifestation of, informal-sector innovation on the African continent. Drawing on data from interviews conducted with participants in eight maker collectives in Gauteng, the authors provide findings in relation to makers’ approaches to outreach, skills development, networking, innovation and collaboration.