Within the context of the FP7 JOLISAA project (JOint Learning in and about Innovation Systems in African Agriculture), an inventory of innovation experiences was developed covering three African countries: Kenya, South Africa and Benin, and focusing on diverse innovation experiences in which at least 3 different types of stakeholders were involved, and being at least three years old. The inventory was made according to a common analytical framework and guidelines to ensure cross-comparison across cases and countries. The inventory consists of two interrelated templates: (1) an MS Excel © template which covers semi-qualitative characteristics, and (2) a MS Word © template, which offers a short qualitative description. National teams used two major avenues to identify cases: literature searches and interactions with a range of institutions and networks engaged in agricultural innovation. Interviews with resource persons and field visits were also conducted to supplement the available / accessible documentation. The completed inventory includes 50 documented cases, covering a wide diversity of experiences, including different types, domains, scales and timelines of innovation, with different degrees of success or impact in terms of improving smallholder-livelihoods. The 50 cases share a number of key features: the common occurrence of "innovation bundles" (a combination of technological, social and/or institutional innovation); the non-linearity of the innovation process; the strategic importance of market linkages in triggering or driving many of the innovations; and a usually close relationship between innovation and externally-funded projects. NAtional terams faced several challenges during the inventory process, including a proper understanding and consistent use of key innovaiton-related concepts.(Texte integral)