National Survey of Research and Experimental Development - Statistical Report (2017/18)

This Statistical Report presents data tables from the 2017/18 South African National Survey of Research and Experimental Development (R&D Survey). The report provides key findings of the survey with commentary, standard summary tables of the overall findings from 2017/18 along with time series from previous instances of the survey. The Statistical Report is published annually, along with the Main Report, which provides selected analysis of the survey data.
The survey covers the sectors that perform R&D in South Africa:
• The business enterprise sector, comprising large, medium and small enterprises, including state-owned enterprises.
• The government sector, comprising national, provincial and local government with an R&D component, government research institutions, and museums.
• The higher education sector, comprising all public and private higher education institutions with an R&D component.
• The not-for-profit sector, comprising non-governmental and other organisations formally registered as not-for-profit institutions.
• The science council sector, comprising the nine science councils established through Acts of Parliament.
This approach is followed in order to maintain consistency with the institutional sector categorisation recommended by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in The Measurement of Scientific and Technological Activities: Proposed Standard Practice for Surveys on Research and Experimental Development, known as the Frascati Manual (OECD, 2002, 2015)2. The split of Government into two sectors - a Government sector and a Science Councils sector - is an adjustment to the South African situation.