Abstract
Purpose – The literature on sustainable business development in emerging economies deals
predominantly with the entry modes of multinationals and how they adapt to local conditions. Little has been written on how organisations in developing countries innovate and employ innovations in a sustainable manner. This paper presents a case study of an innovation business in a partially developed country, but which was taken over by a South African organisation. The purpose of this paper is to study why the venture failed and what lessons this case study offers to future developing country innovators