The past 25 years have seen significant changes in the South African National System of Innovation (NSI), albeit more in character than in form. To a large extent, the role-players in the NSI have remained more or less the same, with the addition of a few new entities, such as the National Metrology Institute of South Africa, the Technology Innovation Agency and the South African National Space Agency, to name a few. The old and well-established entities, such as the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), remain key pillars of the NSI.

Over this period, the CSIR, in particular, has evolved from having a narrow focus on advancing the state agenda of strategic independence in sectors such as defence and security, energy and mining to taking on a much broader mandate of improving the quality of life of all South Africans. This meant addressing challenges in areas such spatial planning, urban development, infrastructure development, environmental sciences, climate change and enterprise creation for development, and in so doing creating a balance between social and economic impact. At the same time, there have been major strides in advancing science in emerging areas of innovation, such as nanotechnology, robotics, photonics, advanced biotechnology and others.

However, according to the global innovation index rankings, South Africa has slipped in terms of innovation over the past decade, from being ranked number 38 in 2007 to 58 in 2018. This clearly suggests that even though the NSI has grown, we are not able to keep up with advances in the rest of the world. Going into the future, government needs to take a holistic approach to innovation; particularly appreciating the role of innovation as a catalyst for socioeconomic prosperity in South Africa. This approach needs to be supported by a more integrated planning and investment in innovation that translates to real impact. Without this, we are likely to regress even further.