Funding R&D in a de-industrialising South Africa. Analytical brief no. 2025/01

Abstract

This brief explores the current state of research and development (R&D) funding in South Africa and the need for increased investment to achieve the country’s targets for R&D expenditure as a proportion of gross domestic product (GDP). It aims to show how South Africa can return to a pathway of high R&D intensity and suggests a benchmark value and approach to government funding of R&D to facilitate this.