Innovation can exert a lasting influence on economic development, with R&D as a key innovation activity with potentially disruptive effects. However, the specific aspect of R&D that enable such impact, and the mechanisms and circumstances under which it occurs, remain unclear. Give South Africa’s relatively low R&D performance and development the briefs explore those factors that could transform this situation. We utilise available data and draw from academic literature to provide insights and suggest a way forward.
Human Sciences Research Council (2025) studied this question.