Science, Technology and Innovation announced a R10.4 billion budget for 2026/27 financial year

The Minister and Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Blade Nzimande and Dr Nomalungelo Gina, today announced a R10.4 billion budget for the 2026/2027 financial year, showing continued investment in priority areas of science, technology, and innovation in South Africa.  

Investment in cutting-edge research technologies, high-level skills development, research infrastructure, and innovation that advances economic growth, social development, and South Africa’s global competitiveness are among some of the priority areas for the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Guided by the Decadal Plan 2022 – 2032 and the Department’s institutional mantra to place STI at the centre of government, education, industry, and society, the budget priority plans reflected the Department’s commitment to building a transformed, inclusive, and responsive national system of innovation.

Addressing Parliament on Friday, 15 May, Minister Nzimande said that with the world facing one of the most unpredictable and precarious moments in human history, the future depends on the country’s willingness to use innovation to advance justice, equality, and peace.  

For this reason, the Minister said the allocation would be used in the next three years to expand the scale and impact of the Department’s work.

This includes intensifying efforts to raise gross expenditure on research and development to 1.5% of GDP, accelerating the transformation and expansion of STI human resources and research workforce, and strengthening the coordination and direction across the NSI through, among others, the Inter-Ministerial Committee on STI and the Presidential Plenary for STI.

The Department will also maintain support for key science projects, such as the Square Kilometre Array, and strengthen pandemic preparedness capacity. Strategic innovation compacts with STI-intensive state departments and private sector partners will also be forged, as well as upgrading critical science infrastructure and developing critical high-end skills, including through the Presidential PhD Programme.

The Minister said the Department would also be mobilising more funding and resources to expand the impact of key programmes such as artificial intelligence, energy security, space, vaccine manufacturing, and indigenous knowledge systems.

There will also be continued efforts to strengthen strategic partnerships, especially across Africa and the Global South, and increase public awareness about the contribution of our public science system to human development through a stronger public engagement and communication campaign.

Among the progress made last year in the implementation of the Decadal Plan 2022-20232, with KfW, a German bank, 19 infrastructure projects were approved to strengthen South Africa’s vaccine development, testing, manufacturing, and regulation.

“We also allocated R14.9 million to strengthen bio-surveillance, ease livestock export restrictions linked to foot-and-mouth disease, and support the Biosecurity Hub at the University of Pretoria,” said the Minister.

On boosting innovation in manufacturing, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research launched a Hot Isostatic Press facility in Tshwane to strengthen local manufacturing, improve metal component performance, and reduce reliance on offshore processing.

Deputy Minister Gina said the government was clear that without significantly stronger industry investment in innovation, South Africa will not be able to compete at the pace required by a rapidly changing global economy.  

“We are therefore intensifying our engagement with business leadership to unlock greater investment in science, technology and innovation for the country. To drive this forward, we are establishing dedicated working groups and workstreams with major national corporations to build impactful, long-term industry partnerships,” said Dr Gina.

A key highlight of the work on indigenous knowledge systems was the graduation of 96 students with bachelor’s degrees in IKS from North-West University. The Department has funded this programme since 2013, and student enrolment has grown steadily over the years.

Another highlight was the establishment of 13 Living Labs, nine Centres for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and mLabs in four provinces.  

These facilities provide a physical space and innovation infrastructure for innovators to ideate and progress their prototype solutions to market through the offering of structured innovation support, training, and a combination of technical and innovation skills training.

The Deputy Minister said the DSTI was determined to change the face of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics professional pipeline in South Africa.  

“The profile of our professional pipeline is overwhelmingly white, male, and urban. Women and rural people are underrepresented. Transformation of the STI in its class composition, gender, and race is fundamental to our agenda,” said Dr Gina.

She said the budget vote demonstrated the Department’s shift from the old Department that paid more attention to the sciences and research.  

“While these areas remain important, DSTI is making a strategic focus on innovation and technologies in strengthening the system of national innovation. We are making headway in this mandate; we will leave no one behind,” said the Deputy Minister.

The Budget Vote followed a public engagement programme hosted by the Department and its entities at Iziko Museum. Attended by local and international stakeholders in the National System of Innovation, including school learners and university students, it showcased a number of exhibitions and a public lecture on Artificial Intelligence delivered by Professor of Computer Science, Vukosi Marivate.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Veli Mbele 
Media Liaison Officer and Spokesperson to the Minister 
Cell: 064 615 0644 

Ms Veronica Mohapeloa
Media Liaison to the Deputy Minister 
Cell: 083 400 5750

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