The Global Innovation Index (GII) has ranked Mauritius as the most innovative economy in sub-Saharan Africa, above South Africa. Overall, however, the two countries are placed fifty-third and fifty-fourth, with Switzerland in first place for a sixth consecutive year.

The GII, published recently by Cornell University, Insead and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), noted that, since 2012, sub-Saharan Africa included more countries than any other region among the group of “innovation achievers” – countries that perform better than their level of development would predict.

“As economic growth in sub- Saharan Africa is slowing, the GII 2016 shows that sub-Saharan Africa must preserve its current innovation momentum, while continuing to diversify economies away from oil production and commodity revenues,” the report noted.

This year, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda and Uganda stood out.

“Better rankings on the indicators for institutions, business sophistication, and knowledge and technology output have allowed the region to catch up [with] Central and Southern Asia, and to overtake Northern Africa and Western Asia,” the report stated.

Average regional performance shows strength in the ease of starting a business, information and communication technologies, business-model creation and relative expenditure on education.

However, the region’s weaknesses lie in firms conducting global research and development, high-technology exports, the quality of local universities and number of scientific publications.

In general, further efforts are also required in human capital, research and infrastructure.

China joined the ranks of the world's top 25, while Sweden, the UK, the US, Finland and Singapore lead the rankings.

China’s top 25 entry marks the first time a middle-income country has joined the highly developed economies that have dominated the top of the GII in its nine editions of surveying the innovative capacity of over 100 economies.

Despite China’s rise, an “innovation divide” persists between developed and developing countries amid increasing awareness that fostering innovation is crucial to a vibrant, competitive economy.