Nzimande Urges Research Funding Beyond Leading Universities

Gqeberha: Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, Professor Blade Nzimande, has flagged the continued concentration of public research funding at South Africa's leading universities, saying institutional inequality limits the country's ability to draw on talent across the entire higher education system. According to South African Government News Agency, Nzimande, speaking at the 2026 National Research Foundation (NRF) Awards in Gqeberha, revealed that approximately 63% of NRF funding is allocated to the 10 universities producing the most research. Furthermore, 83% of South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) chairs are hosted by top-output universities. The ceremony, themed 'Building an Inclusive, Impactful and Transformed Research Future', celebrated researchers whose work advanced science for societal benefit. The Minister is set to conclude his two-day programme in the Eastern Cape with a visit to the Coega Special Economic Zone (SEZ) on Friday. Discussions at the SEZ will focus on the propo sed establishment of a Science and Innovation Park, aimed at strengthening the province's innovation ecosystem and supporting emerging industries, including energy security and green hydrogen. Nzimande emphasized the importance of utilizing institutional resources to maximize the potential of every corner of South Africa. He acknowledged that the best-performing universities continue to receive the largest share of NRF support but noted that interventions are underway to address inequalities inherited from apartheid-era higher education. To broaden participation and strengthen capacity, Nzimande highlighted the awarding of 41 new SARChI chairs, specifically aimed at historically disadvantaged institutions, universities of technology, and new universities. Additionally, the NRF has implemented its University Programmes and Collaborations initiative, which includes tailored interventions to improve research and human-capital capacity at these institutions. Despite the imbalances, Nzimande pointed to signific ant demographic changes in NRF-supported researchers and students. In 2025, the proportion of Black South African NRF-funded students increased to 86%, up from 46% in 1999. Similarly, the number of South African women postgraduate bursary recipients rose from 40% to 60% during the same period. In the 2025/2026 financial year, the foundation awarded bursaries to 5,951 postgraduate students, with 77% receiving full-cost-of-study support. Black representation among funded researchers increased from 15% in 1999 to 57% in 2025, while women's representation grew from 17% to 47%. Nzimande stressed the need for the research community to reflect the full diversity and potential of South Africa, emphasizing the importance of science, technology, and innovation in serving society. However, he noted that slower growth in public investment, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, has constrained the number of financially disadvantaged students benefiting from full-cost funding. The Minister called for stronger efforts to translate publicly supported research into commercially viable products. He highlighted the need to bridge the gap between academic research and commercial application through co-funding early-stage tech development with private industry, driving venture capital into local start-ups, and turning indigenous discoveries into market-ready products. Nzimande underscored the increasing importance of technological capacity amid geopolitical rivalries and urged the cultivation of domestic technological capabilities to reduce dependencies on foreign adversaries in critical sectors. He also advocated for a sovereign research and development agenda for Africa, emphasizing that the continent's research priorities should be guided by its own needs rather than external donor funding. Initiatives like the Science Granting Councils Initiative will be crucial in achieving this objective.