AfricaLive: What makes South Africa’s position in the global research community unique?

Prudence Makhura: South Africa occupies a rather unique and influential position globally. Firstly, our strategic geographic location allows us to act as a bridge between the developed and developing worlds. Through initiatives such as BRICS, we can leverage global economic and scientific networks to advance the interests of the global South.

South Africa’s history has forged a research community that is resilient, innovative, and adept at working within constraints. This has enabled us to punch above our weight in the global arena, even within the context of limited resources.

AfricaLive: How important are intra-African research partnerships compared to South Africa’s traditional linkages with the global North?

Prudence Makhura: I believe our strong partnerships with the global North also benefit the African continent as a whole. Through these collaborations, we’re able to enhance policy frameworks and institutional support for research and innovation across Africa.

At the same time, we recognise the immense value in building deeper and stronger intra-African research ties. In the past, we had many bilateral research and mobility programmes with a number of African countries, however, we found out over the years that lack of established research granting systems in some of the African countries presented some challenges with regard to forging long-term sustainable collaborations.

Consequently, in recent years, the NRF began to shift its partnership approach within the continent by firstly focusing attention on capacity strengthening of the science granting councils to ensure the sustainability of the supported research initiatives. This capacity strengthening programme, funded by the NRF in partnership with the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), is known as the Science Graning Council Initiative (SGCI). It involves granting councils in 17 African countries in sub-Saharan Africa (i.e. Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe). We are currently reviving some of the bilateral agreements and programmes for a new phase of intra-Africa collaboration, as we are confident that our African partners now have systems in place to engage effectively.

AfricaLive: Why are international research partnerships so crucial for addressing global challenges?

Prudence Makhura: Many of the most pressing global challenges we face today, things like pandemics, climate change, technological innovation, are inherently transnational in nature. Therefore, they demand collective, interdisciplinary effort to develop effective solutions.

By collaborating globally, countries are able to pool expertise, share resources, and by so doing, move much quicker to implement interventions that can potentially benefit the world as a whole, and not just their own populations. The complexity and interconnectedness of modern challenges simply cannot be tackled by individual countries operating in isolation. We need countries to pull together and work collaboratively in order to effectively address the challenges of our times.

AfricaLive: Can you highlight some significant international partnerships that the NRF has helped develop?

Prudence Makhura: There are several, but I will mention only three examples which I think best illustrate what the NRF is able to do in terms of mobilising resources for the benefit of the country and the continent. One example relates to the work we are doing in the area of food and nutrition security. Working together with organisations from different African and European countries, we have been able to bring together researchers, policymakers, the private sector, and many other stakeholders from both Europe and Africa onto a shared platform to pool resources and expertise to drive innovative, contextually relevant solutions to address food systems challenges. We believe that by bringing everybody together we would be able to streamline efforts and ensure that resources are utilised optimally, and unnecessary duplications are avoided. Securing initial funding from the European Commission has been instrumental in setting up this long-term, multi-stakeholder collaborative platform.

Secondly, through the SGCI that I mentioned earlier, the NRF has managed to successfully implement and manage many research and innovation programmes on the continent such as (1) the OR Tambo Africa Research Chairs Initiative (ORTARChI) which builds on and leverages existing continental frameworks and interventions geared towards institutional capacity strengthening; recruitment and retention of excellent researchers; and incentives to support research that contributes to socio-economic and transformative development, (2) the COVID-19 Africa Rapid Fund Grant addressing research questions and implementing science engagement activities associated with the pandemic, (3) Africa-Japan Collaborative Research Programme on Environmental Science (AJ-CORE), and (4) Long-Term Europe-Africa WEF-Nexus Research Programme (LEAWEF) – both of which brings together partners in society to co-develop the knowledge needed to support decision-makers and societal change at all scales and in diverse contexts, by focusing on the research area contributing to resolving common problems in Africa.

Lastly, through our success in working together within the SGCI we are now able to secure and attract research funding for the continent from outside the SGCI. For example, earlier this year the NRF was awarded a five year grant by the Swiss philanthropy, Fondation Botnar, worth over 10mil USD to administer a research programme focusing on young people and relational wellbeing in the 12 countries in the global south (i.e. Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Romania, Senegal, Tanzania, and Vietnam, and South Africa).

These partnerships are having tangible benefits including enabling researchers to access world-class labs and infrastructure, securing larger multilateral grants, and cultivating a new generation of internationally-connected African scientists.

AfricaLive: What tends to surprise people the most when you discuss South Africa’s research and innovation capabilities?

Prudence Makhura: I find that many colleagues from the global North are quite surprised by the strength and resilience of South Africa’s higher education, research and innovation ecosystem. Often people don’t expect to find such world-class expertise and facilities on the African continent.

South Africa’s leadership in areas such as biodiversity, astronomy, and global health also tends to catch people off guard. The role played by our scientists in COVID-19 variant identification is a prime example. Their capabilities far exceeded what many global partners anticipated to find in Africa.

Furthermore, I think our interdisciplinary, collaborative approach to research is unique, and it is not necessarily what outsiders expect from an African country. The way we bring together diverse stakeholders to tackle complex challenges in an integrated way is quite novel, and I think it is what draws many in the global North want to partner with us. Our approach is all inclusive and we can collaborate with multiple stakeholders at the same time on a myriad of complex global challenges.

AfricaLive: Why should the average South African citizen care about the NRF’s work and global research partnerships?

Prudence Makhura: I think the COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that South Africa has considerable ability to contribute to global vaccine development. This speaks to the country’s overall investment in research infrastructure and international collaborations.

Such research breakthroughs, ultimately benefit citizens in a number of ways, including improving national healthcare, boosting the economy, creating jobs, and enhancing the country’s global standing. Even if the average South African doesn’t directly engage with research, the downstream impact touch all our lives.

The challenge has been effectively communicating these developments and their potential benefits. The NRF has dedicated science engagement and communication programs, however, we need to do more to ensure that ordinary citizens especially in remote areas understand the positive spin-offs of research and global collaboration on their daily lives. This is a critical part of building a culture that values science and innovation across society.

AfricaLive: Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of South African research and global scientific collaboration?

Prudence Makhura: I’m incredibly optimistic about the potential of global scientific collaboration to accelerate progress and drive transformative solutions. As technology, connectivity and interdisciplinary approaches continue to evolve, our ability and chances of  solving complex global problems also increase.

By fostering more inclusivity, transparency and real-world impact, I believe science is entering an exciting new era. Partnerships that break down traditional barriers will be crucial – whether it’s AI, biotech, space exploration or tackling climate change. The benefits and growth potential are truly limitless if we get this right.

South Africa is well-positioned to be at the forefront of these collaborative efforts by leveraging our unique expertise and bridging the gap between the global North and South. If we can sustain the right policy environment and investment in research, I’m confident that our scientists will continue to be shining examples and make world-class contributions. The future is, indeed, bright.