South African National Survey of Research and Experimental Development: key sector results and trends: not-for-profit sector. Fact sheet 38

Abstract

The not-for-profit sector is the smallest economic sector in South Africa but performs R&D critical to the needs of society. Growth in the NPO sector has been stable over the past decade and grew from R163 million in 2010/11 to R1.510 billion in 2019/20. The majority of R&D spend (79.5%) was in the medical and health sciences, particularly infectious diseases with a focus on tuberculosis (TB), HIV/AIDS and malaria. The not-for-profit sector relies heavily on foreign funds, with over 60% of its funds for R&D received from abroad. With more investment from government and other role players, the not-for-profit sector can grow even bigger and help to address the country's health and social challenges.