STI Statistics

Data source
The Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators Human Sciences Research Council

Updated
July 2024

Data set title
National Research and Experimental Development Surveys (R&D): All provinces in South Africa - Aggregated

Citation
Human Sciences Research Council. National Research and Experimental Development Surveys (R&D): All provinces in South Africa - Aggregated.

Data set description
This data set contains data on the R&D expenditure by province, type of R&D, research fields, socioeconomic objectives, sources of funds and province. R&D personnel data is also included. The data is recorded for each of the following economic sectors of the South African economy: Business, Government, Higher Education, Notfor-Profit Organisations and Science Councils.

Data set abstract
The National Survey of Research and Experimental Development (R&D) Survey collects data under strict confidentiality. Aggregated data are used primarily to inform policy and strategic planning at a national level.

The National R&D Survey collected primary data from five survey sectors:

• Business sector which consists of companies, business associations and state owned enterprises.
• Government sector includes national and provincial departments, research institutes and museums.
• Higher Education Institutions sector is made up of universities, universities of technology and private higher education institutions. Some limited supplementary data from HEMIS was used in this sector.
• Not-for-Profit Organisations (NPO) sector.
• Science Councils sector.

Some general organisational information was collected. The survey however focused on human resources and financial data relating to in-house R&D conducted on the national territory of South Africa.

In-house R&D personnel categories included:

• Researchers
• Technicians directly supporting R&D
• Other personnel directly supporting R&D
• Qualifications, gender and race
• Full-time-equivalents (FTE) on R&D

In-house R&D expenditure categories included:

• Capital expenditure, labour costs and other current expenditure.
• Type of R&D (basic research, strategic basic research, applied research and experimental development)
• Provincial location
• Sources of funds
• Research fields (fields of science)
• Socio-economic objective
• Industry of R&D (Business sector only)

The key users of the data and findings include government departments, especially DSI and the OECD which use survey indicators in their annual time-series publication on Main Science and Technology Indicators (MSTI).

Ad hoc requests for data are also accommodated and inform academic papers, reports and other outputs.

Time method
Longitudinal: Trend/Repeated cross section

Type of data
Quantitative

Kind of data
Single tabular (One separate matrix of data values)

Source
The Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS) data is used for R&D personnel headcounts in the Higher Education Sector.

Countries
South Africa

Geographic coverage
Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape.

Geographic unit
Province

Unit of analysis
The number of units refer to entities where in-house R&D is performed

• Business Sector: 370 R&D performing business enterprise units which include companies, business associations and state owned enterprises.
• Government Sector: 96 Government R&D performing entities consisting of national and provincial departments, research institutes and museums.
• Higher Education Sector: There are 24 Universities (16 traditional universities and 8 Universities of Technology) and 7 private higher education institutions. The sector is made up of 31 individual R&D performing units, which include faculties, departments and administrative areas, etc.
• Not-for-Profit Organisations (NPO) Sector: 69 NPOs.
• Science Council Sector: 8 Science Councils made up of 11 individual R&D performing units.

Note: The number of units refer to non-nil responses, i.e. entities with in-house R&D performed.

Universe - Included
The universe of R&D performers was divided into the following five sectors as per the Survey Report 2001/2 dated September 2004:

• Business enterprises (BUS): The business sector of large, medium and small enterprises, including stateowned companies.
• Government (GOV): All government departments with an R&D component, government research institutes and museums.
• Higher education institutions (HEI): Higher education institutions, namely the 21 universities (and academic hospitals) and 15 Universities of Technology.
• Not-for-profit (NPO): Non-governmental and other organisations formally registered as not-for-profit institutions. 
• Science councils (SCI): The 8 science councils, including the Africa Institute of South Africa, as established through their individual Acts of Parliament

Universe - Excluded
Entities in the above mentioned sectors which do not have in-house R&D performed.

Mode of data collection
Email survey
Face-to-face interview
Postal survey
Telephone interview

A postal survey was administered with some face-to-face and telephonic interviews conducted. Email survey questionnaires were also used. All sectors also accepted some partially complete questionnaires as long as core essential data was contained. An embedded User Guide was used in all sector questionnaires.

Sampling procedure
The sampling method of each sector is briefly outlined below:

Business Sector: a purposive sampling procedure was employed whereby all known and likely R&D performers were targeted.

Government Sector: was surveyed using a census approach. All national and provincial government departments, research institutions and museums performing R&D were included.

Higher Education Sector: institutions, namely universities and Universities of Technology were included through a census survey.

Not-for-Profit Organisations (NPO) Sector: a purposive sampling procedure was employed whereby all known and likely R&D performers were targeted.

Science Councils Sector: was surveyed using a census approach.

Response rate = 100 x [Responses / (Responses + Non-responses - Out-of-scopes)], where non-responses include refusals and out-of-scopes include closed down, non-R&D performer, return to sender, untraceable, etc.

For 2018/2019 survey:

• Business sector response rate = 100 x [241/(241 + 305 - 52)] = 48.8%
• Not-for-profit sector response rate = 100 x [33/(33 + 36 - 14)] = 60%
• Government sector response rate = 100 x [40/(40 + 56 - 1)] = 42%
• Science Councils sector response rate = 100 x [10/(10 + 1 - 0)] = 90.9%
• Higher Education sector (Public) response rate = 100 x [17/(17 + 7 - 0)] = 70.8%
• Higher Education sector (Private) response rate = 100 x [5/(5+ 2 - 0)] = 71.4%

Overall survey response rate = 100 x [433/(433 + 330 - 135)] = 68.9%

Weighting
Data is not weighted

Author / principal investigator(s)
Kruss Van Der Heever, Glenda (Dr GE); Clayford, Mario (Dr MA); Molotja, Neo (Dr N); Mudavanhu, Precious (Mrs P); Mustapha, Nazeem (Dr N); Saunders, Natasha (Ms NC); Sithole, Moses (Dr MM); Vlotman, Natalie (Ms NA); Mathekga, Jerry (Mr MJ); Ziqubu, Sibusiso (Mr SI); Sass, Theodore (Mr T); Kahn, Amy (Dr AS); Kasongo, Atoko (Dr A); Bailey, Curtis (Mr CJ); Takatshana, Sinovuyo (Ms S); Maluleke, Maria (Ms MM); Ralphs, Gerard (Mr GP); Binda, Lindiwe (Ms LE); Mavi, Sintu (Mr S); Malaza, (Mr TN); Buchana, Yasser (Dr
Y); Hlakula, Zinziswa (Ms ZK); Mahlaela, Audrey (Ms AM); Zondi, Luthando (Ms LL); Mpikwa, Vuyi (Ms V)

Acknowledgement
Soudien, Crain (Prof. CA); Simbayi, Leickness (Prof. LC) Mjwara ( P); Maluleka ( R); Patel (Mr I.); Mashamba ( G); Mamogobo ( T); Matlapeng ( K) Department of Science and Innovation; Statistics South Africa

Funder(s)
Department of Science and Innovation

Producer(s)
Human Sciences Research Council

Distributors(s)
Human Sciences Research Council

Copyright
Human Sciences Research Council

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