Promoting innovation for inclusive rural transformation in South Africa

APolicy Brief: How can science, technology and innovation (STI) be harnessed for
inclusive rural development in South Africa? Given the increasing amount
of attention, resources and planning being devoted to rural development in
South Africa, but with seemingly little desired impact, this question is vital. The
innovation policy framework pays scant attention to rural innovation systems,
which tend to be heavily localised and informal and are increasingly extending
beyond the agricultural subsector (Hart et al. 2012). Innovations in other
social and economic sectors to uplift vulnerable communities in rural areas are
gaining momentum and deserve close attention in research and policy.