Government increased its spending on R&D to R2.013 billion in 2023/24, continuing a steady recovery from the low experienced in 2019/20. Applied research remained the primary driver of government R&D expenditure, consistently accounting for around 70% of activity, while basic research grew gradually and experimental research continued to decline. Most government R&D was carried out by research institutes and national departments, supported by a stable workforce of researchers and other R&D personnel.
Human Sciences Research Council (2026) studied this question.