The commitment to one of the core strategic objectives of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR), as envisioned by the African National Congress (ANC), is the importance of innovation in driving economic growth and social change. Thus, the convening of The National System of Innovation (NSI) Transformation Summit, the first of its kind in South Africa, which took place on March 13-14, 2025, was greatly welcomed.  The landmark NSI Transformation Summit presented an unprecedented opportunity to engage with a diverse range of stakeholders, including government representatives, academia, industry leaders, trade unions, and civil society organizations.

Taking place under the theme “Science, technology, innovation and knowledge at the centre of government, education, society and industry”, participants addressed two fundamental questions, namely:

Why has the post-apartheid NSI transformation not yielded all the desired outcomes as outlined in the Decadal Plan and White Paper; and

What practical steps can we take to deepen and accelerate the transformation of NSI to better serve government, education, society, economy and the planet?

There were high-level discussions on the “The transformation of knowledge for South Africa’s future”, “Equity, diversity and inclusion in the current and future research and innovation workforce”, “Knowledge and STI-driven industrialisation and green development”, and Youth and STI”.

We believe that this summit was an important for development as STI can serve as a catalyst for a more inclusive, equitable, sustainable and prosperous world for all.