Furthermore, the disruptive and
remarkable nature of innovation
that is more service-based and
works from the bottom up tends to
be underestimated. Indeed, certain
African countries have experienced
rapid and spontaneous innovations
in finance (e-banking), telecommunications,
medical technologies, and
other areas in recent years. The well known
case of M-PESA in Kenya
noted in Chapters 3 and 9 is just one
example. The developing-country
context and a regulatory environment
that is sometimes more permissive
can help innovation in the service
sector and promote leapfrogging in
ways rarely seen in higher-income
economies. Moreover, developing
countries have seen the emergence
of more grassroots-type innovations
for health, education, and transport
that make significant contributions
to the quality of daily lives.