Living Labs in South Africa: An analysis based on five case studies

Abstract

The aim of this study is to understand the key features of five selected Living Labs (LLs) in South Africa, namely Siyakula LL, Limpopo LL, North-West LL, SAP Research LLs and Reconstructed LL. LLs do have the potential to address Africa’s immanent socio-economic and developmental needs, therefore it is important to have a deeper understanding of the conditions under which existing LLs in South Africa operate. A qualitative case study approach was followed that included case descriptions, a within-case analysis and a between-case analysis to identify commonalities (i.e. central or recurring themes) between the various LLs in South Africa as well as to identify more overarching themes related to the Southern Africa network of Living Labs (LLiSA). A questionnaire, document study and interviews were used as the main data gathering methods. Main results include that LLs in LLiSA emphasize co-creation with communities, specifically rural communities, as opposed to European LLs’ collaboration with ‘users’ who are mostly located in urban areas. An interesting finding is that the South African LLs do not operate according to a preferred or fixed approach or model. Rather, models (e.g. processes and methods used), goals, theories and values differ greatly from one LL to the next.