Reimagining organisational competitiveness through ecosystem integration and commonwealth

There is a new logic that has emerged across the African continent as countries and organisations, both in government and business try to position competitively in a rapidly changing world. Leaders are being pushed and urged to answer a complex question of not just how to grow but to do so in a manner that is competitive, more resilient, and in line with the dynamics of the broader ecosystem.

The idea of competitiveness is often framed around macroeconomic indicators such as GDP growth, investment inflows, inflation rate, unemployment rate etc - but in the day-to-day realities of organisations delivering services in some form or another, competitiveness is something else entirely. In practice, competitiveness is about coherence - it is about systems that work, technologies that scale and are adaptable, and people who thrive in increasingly complex environments.

As conversations around the competitiveness of Africa intensify, particularly in the face of shifting trade and economic patterns, accelerated technological change, and changing development mandates, it is becoming clear that the usual approaches of optimising processes, attracting investment, and increasing output are no longer enough. The issue is not just performance, but the systems underpinning it.

The reality is, competitiveness today is not defined by how fast any single organisation can move, but by how well it moves with others. Whether in government or business, transformation now demands deeper integration across institutions, platforms/technology, and people.

Public service, in particular, has been stifled by fragmented ecosystems, institutional inertia, and short-term political horizons. And yet, across the continent, a new logic is emerging – one that prioritises integration over isolation, commonwealth over competition, and people over process.

Within this logic, ecosystem integration is not just a quick fix or alignment to national developmental agendas. It is a new system logic that enables the different players (public institutions, private sector, civil society, and communities) to see themselves as interdependent parts of a shared future – where decisions can be made retrospectively, resources allocated adequately and reflectively, and impact delivered at the point of need

Human nature is rarely content with seeing the world only as it is. We are wired to imagine sometimes consciously, often instinctively, what our future could be. In essence, we colour our world with our ideals, our hopes, and our beliefs about what is possible.

This impulse can be a powerful lever for change. It means that the path forward is not just about designing better systems but about aligning those systems with the way people already dream, relate, and build. A transformed organisation, in Africa, must not simply compete within a broken logic – it must reimagine the logic itself.

It is especially true in the public service landscape, where the need for transformation is pressing, but the path forward is rarely linear. The systems that support education, health, justice, and governance etc were not built for integration. Yet integration is exactly what is now required. Digital tools can help, but only when aligned with people and purpose. Technology alone cannot transform unless deployed in ways that connect data, teams, citizens, and services so that what is built is not just efficient, but equitable. The most transformative organisations will be those that understand this intersection and act on it with intent.

What this means is that we cannot optimise our way out of fragmentation, and we cannot digitise our way out of exclusion. A shift is needed; one that sees competitiveness not just as a performance metric, but as a systemic outcome of how people, technology, and strategy come together.

One of the most significant ways to rethink competitiveness is through the lens of commonwealth not as a historical legacy, but as a  principle for shared prosperity – where common goals, interests, and values are driven for the prosperity of the collective. This does not imply sameness or homogeneity, but rather the responsiveness and strength that can be derived from leveraging the power integration can unlock

Competitiveness, then, is no longer any individual organisation’s pursuit; it becomes a shared outcome shaped not only by internal strategy, but by the organisation’s place within a wider ecosystem - value chains, data networks, regulatory environments, and citizen journeys. To compete is to co-create i.e., building systems that are common in purpose, accessible in design, and inclusive in outcome.

In this context, commonwealth must be:

• Common – rooted in collective purpose and participation
• Accessible – open and usable to all, across geography, class, and ability
• Welfare-oriented – executed upon with the wellbeing of every citizen in mind

This is not a return to idealism, but rather a strategic shift that recognises that systems perform better when they are inclusive, integrated, and co-owned. Instead of fragmented service delivery, isolated initiatives, or parallel economies, an integrated ecosystem approach connects institutions, communities, technologies, and markets into a single dynamic web. It allows for scale without exclusion. Innovation without displacement. Efficiency with equity.

In practice, this could look like:

• Public institutions adopting shared data platforms to deliver integrated services
• Organisations embedding digital accessibility into their platforms, strategy execution, and workforce planning
• Ecosystem partners co-investing in cross-sector infrastructure that enables everyone to grow, not just the most resourced players

This is the shift from transactional strategy to relational ecosystems. Organisations across Africa are realising this - that competitiveness today is not about size, speed, or even innovation in isolation. It is about integration – whether it is integrating citizen data to enable seamless public services, or aligning internal teams around a unified digital platform, ecosystem integration is fast becoming a strategic necessity.

Ready to explore how organisational competitiveness can be enhanced through ecosystem integration and commonwealth
Reach out to me at Theresa.M@africaia.com