State-owned enterprises (SOEs) in South Africa are crucial to industrial development. The future role of SOEs depends on their ability to form the bedrock of the economy while remaining efficient and internationally competitive. This policy brief reiterates the importance of the role that R&D has played in the operational efficiency of SOEs. The brief presents evidence of decreased R&D activity at SOEs and recommends actions to regenerate such activity.
Human Sciences Research Council (2026) studied this question.