South Africa’s post-apartheid transformation of its science and innovation system represents one of the most ambitious undertakings in the Global South. Over the past three decades, the country has developed a National System of Innovation (NSI) aimed at promoting excellence, equity and developmental relevance. This article presents a comprehensive retrospective of the NSI’s evolution, grounded in National Innovation Systems theory, and identifies the period between 2005 and 2015 as a ‘golden age’ for research and development (R&D). It examines the influence of strategic incentives, institutional reforms and funding trajectories, while also analysing the consequences of recent fiscal retrenchment and political ambivalence. A central critique is the persistent failure to establish an independent Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Observatory – an omission that has constrained the NSI’s capacity to inform political decision-making and secure sustained investment. The article concludes with an assessment of recent policy responses in 2025 and offers strategic recommendations for revitalising South Africa’s science and innovation landscape.
Anastassios Pouris (Tue,) studied this question.
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