Instead of moving towards the 1.5% target of gross domestic product , SA’s gross expenditure on research and development declined for the second consecutive year.
In the report’s foreword, NACI chairperson Dr Shadrack Moephuli notes COVID-19 created opportunities and challenges for the national system of innovation . undertook a week-long visit to Silicon Valley in the US, to gain insights into policy, funding and other interventions that would inform the implementation of SA’s new Decadal Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation.Reflecting on the annual report’s findings, Nzimande said in terms of human resources in STI, the proportion of female academic staff at South African public universities increased from 46.4% in 2010 to 50.4% in 2019.
On science, technology and innovation investment, the 2021 Unesco science report raised a concern that four out of every five countries devoted less than 1% of their GDP to research and development. Among the BRICS countries, South Africa and India are struggling to reach and transcend the 1% benchmark of GDP expenditure on R&D.
The R&D expenditure by the business sector as a percentage of GERD declined from 53.2% in 2009/10 to 39.3% in 2018/19, he stated. “This is a huge challenge to our business sector.”The STI indicators report is compiled with the latest available data from various public and private organisations, and institutions mandated to collect the data.