By: Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Nomalungelo Gina.
South Africa has steadily established itself as one of Africa’s most well-liked vacation spot in scientific analysis, innovation and technological development. Across the nation, scientists, researchers and innovators are creating options that reply to some of society’s most urgent challenges, making globally recognised contributions in areas similar to healthcare, astronomy, renewable power, vaccine growth, agriculture and biodiversity analysis.
Building a succesful, moral and developmental state requires greater than sound insurance policies; it requires data, innovation and a collective dedication to harness science within the service of the individuals.
The authorities’s continued funding in innovation and scientific capability displays this dedication, recognising that science, know-how and innovation (ST&I) are important instruments for advancing nationwide growth and enhancing the standard of life of South Africans.
From strengthening healthcare and enhancing meals safety to enhancing water administration, increasing digital providers and supporting financial progress, science, know-how and innovation present the data and options wanted to deal with advanced nationwide challenges.
Science is greater than a driver of discovery. It is a robust engine of financial transformation, industrialisation and nationwide competitiveness. This is why the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation has expanded its flagship programme, National Science Week, right into a month-lengthy initiative. For this motive, we’re clearly saying that science, know-how and innovation have to be positioned on the centre of authorities, schooling, business and society.
With the theme Science, Technology and Innovation are for everybody, National Science Month supplies our society with a chance to recognise that scientific progress isn’t solely about discoveries and analysis breakthroughs; it’s about creating sensible options that enhance service supply, drive inclusive growth and construct a extra affluent future for all South Africans. The month-lengthy marketing campaign helps increase extra public consciousness of the worth of science in on a regular basis life, whereas demonstrating why larger funding in analysis, growth and innovation is important for South Africa’s progress and competitiveness.
Government recognises that assembly the evolving wants of South Africans requires sustained efforts to deal with unemployment, poverty and inequality; enhance infrastructure and service supply; strengthen local weather resilience; and construct a globally aggressive and inclusive economic system. These priorities require new pondering, modern approaches and proof-primarily based options. It is thru the development of science, know-how and innovation that South Africa can strengthen its capacity to answer these challenges.
These efforts are guided by the federal government’s growth agenda, together with the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 and the Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP). The NDP 2030 supplies South Africa’s lengthy-time period imaginative and prescient for eliminating poverty and decreasing inequality by building a succesful, inclusive and rising economic system, whereas the MTDP interprets these objectives into sensible priorities and actions over 5 years.
Both frameworks recognise science, innovation and technological development as essential enablers of inclusive financial progress, improved public providers and sustainable nationwide growth. The 2019 White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation units the lengthy-time period coverage course for the federal government to speed up inclusive financial progress and social growth.
This is why the federal government continues to put money into giant scientific tasks such because the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). One of South Africa’s most exceptional scientific achievements main function in a single of the world’s most formidable astronomy tasks. Together with worldwide companions, South Africa helps to construct the world’s largest and most delicate radio telescope, positioning the nation on the forefront of world astronomy and scientific discovery. Beyond increasing our understanding of the universe, the SKA is creating world-class abilities in science, engineering and information science, driving technological innovation, creating financial alternatives and strengthening South Africa’s competitiveness within the world economic system.
South Africa’s scientific power is additional mirrored in its larger schooling and analysis establishments. Our universities proceed to make globally vital contributions to science, analysis and innovation, advancing pioneering work in areas similar to HIV and tuberculosis analysis, genomics, vaccine growth, well being sciences, synthetic intelligence, mining innovation, astronomy, inexperienced hydrogen, renewable power, biotechnology, veterinary science, agricultural innovation and engineering.
Institutions such because the University of Cape Town, the University of the Witwatersrand, Stellenbosch University, the University of Pretoria and the University of KwaZulu-Natal have earned worldwide recognition for his or her analysis excellence and proceed to provide scientific breakthroughs that deal with each nationwide and world challenges. The Nuclear Medicine Research Infrastructure (NuMeRI) is one of the analysis services of the DSTI. NuMeRI is the continent’s first nuclear drugs analysis facility, which includes a cyclotron for producing isotopes to deal with most cancers and different ailments.
In a collaborative effort with the University of Pretoria and Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria, this facility supplies consolidated experience in nuclear applied sciences in drugs and biosciences, creating vital analysis, growth and innovation capability in South Africa and will help within the therapy of most cancers and different ailments.
Together, these establishments exhibit the depth of South Africa’s scientific functionality and the vital function that larger schooling performs in driving innovation, supporting nationwide priorities and enhancing the lives of all South Africans.
To exhibit that science, know-how and innovation belong to everybody, throughout South Africa’s townships, a brand new technology of younger innovators is creating sensible options to on a regular basis challenges, from digital platforms and clear power applied sciences to sensible agriculture and township-primarily based manufacturing. For instance, The Technology Innovation Agency, an entity of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, ensures that younger individuals are getting access to entrepreneurship, mentorship, enterprise incubation, prototyping services and technical experience that allow them to rework modern concepts into viable enterprises. One of its initiatives, the Grassroots Innovation Programme, helps to nurture domestically developed applied sciences, create employment alternatives and stimulate financial exercise inside township communities.
As a end result, this rising tradition of grassroots innovation displays a broader nationwide sample the place science and know-how are being utilized to deal with challenges throughout totally different sectors of the economic system, together with agriculture.
Institutions such because the Agricultural Research Council proceed to develop and help options that assist farmers reply to local weather variability, enhance productiveness and scale back the danger of crop failure. Innovations in soil science, irrigation, livestock administration and digital agriculture are enabling farmers to make higher-knowledgeable selections and construct resilience within the face of altering environmental circumstances. The influence of these scientific advances is obvious within the sector’s rising contribution to the economic system.
In 2025, South Africa’s agricultural exports reached a document R268.7 billion, a rise of 9% in comparison with 2024, regardless of difficult world buying and selling circumstances. The sector additionally expanded by 17.4% throughout 2025, making it one of the strongest-performing sectors of the economic system and a serious contributor to South Africa’s GDP progress. Agriculture now contributes roughly 2.8% on to the nation’s GDP, whereas the broader agricultural worth chain accounts for round 14% of financial exercise and helps roughly 950 000 jobs. These achievements exhibit that sustained funding in agricultural science and innovation isn’t solely advancing analysis; it’s strengthening livelihoods, supporting rural economies, enhancing meals safety and driving inclusive financial progress.
National Science Month most significantly highlights the significance of inspiring the following technology of scientists, researchers and innovators. It showcases the exceptional work of younger South Africans who’re creating options to actual-world challenges and demonstrates the transformative energy of science, know-how and innovation. In addition, initiatives such because the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists encourage curiosity, creativity and essential pondering, offering younger individuals with alternatives to discover science and pursue careers in analysis and innovation.
As South Africa continues to construct a data-pushed and aggressive economic system, we’d like extra younger individuals to embrace research and careers in science, know-how, engineering and arithmetic (STEM). These younger minds will develop into the researchers, entrepreneurs, engineers and innovators who develop the options wanted to deal with future challenges and form the nation’s growth trajectory.
As we observe National Science Month, we’re reminded that science isn’t a distant self-discipline reserved for specialists; it’s a highly effective instrument for enhancing on a regular basis lives and building a greater future. From world-main scientific tasks and college analysis to township innovators and farmers making use of new applied sciences, South Africans are demonstrating that innovation exists wherever creativity meets alternative. By persevering with to put money into science, know-how and the following technology of innovators, we strengthen our capacity to construct a succesful state, develop our economic system and create a extra inclusive and affluent society for all.
As society evolves, so too do the challenges it faces. New issues require new options, and the federal government can not deal with the realities of at present utilizing solely the strategies of the previous.