The future of state-owned enterprises in South Africa: why R&D matters

Abstract

This Working Paper draws on a baseline exploratory study conducted by the HSRC's Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators (CeSTII). The study aimed to raise questions for new policy to promote R&D in State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) that could enhance their contribution to economic development, and to identify avenues for future research. The study drew on statistical data from the South African National Survey of Research and Experimental Development, as well as information published in the annual reports (2010/11 and 2014/15), of the ten largest R&D performing SOEs. It also considered published studies and articles on investments and performance of SOEs.