Department of Science and Innovation Survey Reports

In the previous R&D Survey Main Report, covering the 2017/18 reference period, expenditure and personnel trends were interrogated to identify specific areas of growth, decline and stagnation, and to prompt policy-relevant questions. In this report we continue with this approach through an updated, disaggregated analysis of the 2018/19 R&D data. The analysis is organised into three sections.Section 1 focuses on how R&D is oriented to address national priorities. Section 2 interrogates R&D funding flows. Section 3 considers trends in the growth of the human capabilities for R&D. The analysis in each section highlights evidence that is pertinent to policy concerns.Actors in the national system of innovation, whether government departments, business support groups, universities or civil society organisations, attempt to understand the current R&D trends shaping the future, and the potential R&D growth points in the private and public sectors. At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is still unfolding, and its long-term societal and economic impactsremain uncertain, reliable data-informed analysis is essential. This report is thus oriented to the needs of officials in government departments, leaders in businesses and business support groups, science council executives, university research leaders, and civil society practitioners. 

This Statistical Report presents data tables from the 2021/22 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 2020/21 and time series from previous instances of the survey. The R&D Survey covers a 12-month period corresponding with the sectoral financial year. For the business, government, science councils and NPO sectors this is from 1 April to 31 March, or the nearest complete financial year. In the higher education sector the calendar year is surveyed, ending 31 December.The survey covers these sectors that perform R&D in South Africa:• Business enterprise sector, comprising large, medium and small enterprises, including state-owned enterprises.• Government sector, comprising national, provincial and local government with an R&D component; government research institutions and museums.• Higher education sector, comprising all public and private higher education institutions with an R&D component.• Not-for-profit sector, comprising non-governmental and other organisations formally registered as not-for-profit institutions.• Science council sector, comprising the seven science councils established through Acts of Parliament

The National Survey of Research and Experimental Development (National R&D Survey) is conducted annually by the Human Sciences Research Council’s (HSRC) Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators (CeSTII) on behalf of the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The survey provides information regarding expenditure on research and experimental development (R&D) and the supply of R&D personnel within South Africa. The core indicators measured from the survey include the gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD), R&D expenditure by source of funds and sector of performance; R&D personnel bylevel of formal qualifi cation, gender and race; and R&D by research fi eld, socio-economic objectives and by industry (business sector only). The data from the survey serves as a reference document for analysis and national policy development. In South Africa, the data are used inter alia by The Presidency for the compilation of its Development Indicators and by Stats SA to inform the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Internationally, the data are used by organisations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation andDevelopment (OECD), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).The report consists of an executive summary followed by sections on the methodology and the key major findings for the various sectors surveyed, namely business (BUS) (Chapter 4), not-for-profi t (NPO) (Chapter 5), government (GOV) (Chapter 6), science councils (SCI) (Chapter 7) and higher education (HE) (Chapter 8). 

This Statistical Report presents data tables from the 2013/14 South African National Survey of Research and Experimental Development (R&D survey) with commentary, standard summary tables of the overall findings from 2013/14 along with time series from nine previous instances of the survey. The Statistical Report is publishedtogether with the Main Analysis Report which provides selected analysis of the survey data. The survey covers the sectors that perform R&D in South Africa, namely the business, not-for-profit, government, science councils and higher education sectors. This approach is followed in order to satisfy national data needs and, at the same time, 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 ExperimentalDevelopment, known as the Frascati Manual (OECD, 2002).

This Statistical Report presents selected data tables of the 2011/12 South African National Survey of Research and Experimental Development (R&D survey). The Statistical Report is published together with the Main Analysis Report which provides trends and brief analysis of the survey data. The tables in this report cover the following main dimensions of R&D statistics, in terms of expenditure and human resources:• Gross domestic expenditure on research and development (GERD);• GERD by R&D performing sectors;• Sources and flows of funding for R&D;• R&D expenditure by economic sector, field of research and socio-economic objectives;• R&D personnel by occupation (researchers, technicians and support staff) and the time devoted to R&D;• R&D involving local and international collaborations.The survey covered the sectors that perform R&D in South Africa, namely the business, not-for-profit, government, science councils and higher education sectors. This approach is followed in order to maintain consistency with the 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).

This report provides the main analysis and detailed commentary on the results of the 2011/12 South African National Survey of Research and Experimental Development (R&D Survey).This report is accompanied by the Statistical Report which presents key findings and trend data from previous instances of the survey. The data in the Main report as well as the Statistical Report are presented as dimensions of research and experimental development (R&D) expenditure, sources of funding and human resources:• Gross domestic expenditure on research and development (GERD);• GERD by R&D-performing sectors;• Sources and flows of funding for R&D;• R&D expenditure by sector, field of research and socio-economic objective;• R&D personnel by occupation (researchers, technicians and support staff) and the time devoted to R&D; and• R&D involving local and international collaborations.The survey covered the formal sectors that perform R&D in South Africa, namely the business, not-for-profit, government, science councils and higher education sectors. This is directly comparable with the sector categorisation recommended by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in TheMeasurement of Scientific and Technological Activities: Proposed Standard Practice for Surveys on Research and Experimental Development, known as the Frascati Manual (OECD 2002). 

The 2009/10 R&D survey recorded that South Africa’s Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) amounted to R20.9 billion, a nominaldecrease of R86 million from the R21.0 billion recorded for 2008/9. With the GERD as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at 0.87%, the findings indicate a third consecutive decline in the ratio, from 0.93% in 2007/8 and 0.92% in 2008/9. It is the first time over the past decade that the survey recorded a nominal decline in overall R&D expenditure. A decline of 9.7% in business sector R&D expenditure, a significant contributor to R&D investment, is the primary driver of this trend.Notwithstanding an overall increase of just over R 1.1 billion in expenditure within the public sector (i.e. government departments, higher education and science councils), this was not adequate to offset the decline of R1.4 billion in the business sector R&D and the not-for-profit sector expenditures.