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Mapping modes of firm innovation: new indicators for South African STI policy
Get PDFHSRC Policy Brief, JanuarySouth African science, technology and innovation (STI) and industrial policy actors, and business or industry organisations, increasingly recognise the need for a contextually appropriate mix of policy interventions aiming to build and strengthen firms’ innovation capabilities, aligned with the priorities of the STI Decadal Plan (2022).
New kinds of indicators can add value to inform design, implementation and monitoring of a policy mix. This policy brief draws on analysis of national business innovation datasets to identify and profile the distinctive South African spread of firms’ modes of innovation. The empirical analysis identifies four main innovation pathways, so that policy strategies and mechanisms are oriented to incentivise the full range of firm innovation capabilities: (1)
strengthening the dynamic innovation capabilities of high capability firms operating on global or domestic markets, (2) building the innovation capabilities of moderate capability firms, for technology modification, (3) broadening the innovation capabilities of low capability firms to access and absorb technologies, and (4) supporting the conditions for non-innovating firms’ market entry and growing demand.N/
Exploring water supply challenges to selected villages of greater Giyani municipality in Limpopo Province, South Africa
Get PDFLimpopo Province faces significant water access challenges, with one-third of its population lacking sufficient
domestic water supply. This study examines water access and supply-related challenges in selected villages
in the Greater Giyani Municipality (GGM), which suffers from severe water shortages due to persistent
drought. In 2008, water levels in the Nsami and Middle Letaba Dams dropped below 5% and 6%, respectively.
An open-ended questionnaire survey of 638 households was conducted in 2021, and hydroclimatic data
were used to achieve the aim of the study. The analysis revealed that the main water supply sources in GGM
are boreholes, communal taps, bulk water through in-house connections, and water vendors. The estimated
water demand for the selected villages is 3,230,600 L per day, while the total water supply is only 1,796,676
L per day, resulting in a 44.38% deficit. The questionnaire survey identified two key challenges: unreliable
municipal water supply and a lack of access to water within 200 m of households. The study recommends
prioritizing water management strategies, such as demand management, groundwater development, and
supply innovations, to meet domestic water needs.
Exploring the relationship between established HIV risk factors and depressive symptoms amongst young women without HIV in two sites in South Africa
Get PDFAdolescent girls are at high risk for depression and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition. Poor mental health can increase vulnerability to risky sexual behaviours. Therefore, this study aims to determine the prevalence of depressive symptomology and explore the convergence of HIV risk factors with depressive symptoms amongst cis-gender adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in rural KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and peri-urban Western Cape (WC) communities in South Africa. Cross-sectional survey data from two sites in South Africa was used - the rural Vulindlela community in KZN and the peri-urban Philippi East community in the WC. Study inclusion criteria included being sexually active with at least one male partner, and not planning to relocate in the next 12 months. The PHQ-9 scale was used to determine depressive symptomology, a socio-behavioural questionnaire was used to determine sexual behaviours, odds ratios and confidence intervals derived from logistic regression models were used to explore the associations between depressive symptomology and socio-behavioural factors associated with HIV acquisition. The cohort consisted of 274 adolescent girls, 38.6% from the WC site and 61.4% from the KZN site. Overall, 15.7% (43/274) of AGYW reported depressive symptoms. Participants from the peri-urban WC site were more likely to experience depressive symptoms (OR 8.34; 95% CI 3.80–18.30) compared to those living in the rural KZN site. Depressive symptoms were less likely to occur in adolescent girls between the ages of 14 to 17 as compared to those between the ages of 18 and 19 (OR 0.44; 95% CI 0.22–0.90). Socio-behavioural HIV risk factors associated with depressive symptoms include: age disparate relationships (OR 2.98; 95% CI 1.52–5.84), high (four or more) numbers of lifetime partners (OR 8.15; 95% CI 3.60–18.45) and engaging in sex under the influence of alcohol (OR 2.58; 95% CI 1.32–5.04). Multivariate analysis showed that participants from the WC site (AOR 5.25; 95% CI 1.95–14.17) had higher odds of experiencing depressive symptoms while participants with four or more lifetime partners (AOR 3.46; 95% CI 1.24–9.60) were at higher odds of experiencing depressive symptoms. In this cross-sectional study, depressive symptomology is associated with certain HIV risk behaviours. Longitudinal studies are required to test the causal relationship between depression and HIV acquisition and to better understand the geospatial differences observed.
Preferences for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis formulations and delivery among young African women: results of a discrete choice experiment
Get PDFOral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective, but adherence is challenging for young women. Products centred around women?s preferences could address adherence barriers. Using a longitudinal discrete choice experiment (DCE), we examined young African women?s preferences around PrEP product formulation and delivery attributes before and after initiating oral PrEP. We enrolled HIV-negative women from six African countries in a prospective cohort from August 2022 to June 2023. Women completed two DCEs on PrEP products and PrEP delivery. At enrolment and month 1, participants completed the DCE about PrEP products with 16 randomly assorted choice sets assessing product form and dosing, dose forgiveness, drug reversibility, weight change and antiretroviral or immune-based mechanism attributes. At month 3, participants completed the DCE about PrEP delivery evaluating preferences related to location to collect doses, packaging, product storage, type of HIV test and costs. Preference weights (PW) were estimated with a hierarchical Bayesian model; higher positive numbers indicate greater preference for an attribute. Importance scores compare relative importance across the five attributes; higher scores indicate greater importance. Two thousand eight hundred and forty-seven women completed enrolment and month 1 DCEs; the median age was 24 years (range: 16–30) and 92.8% initiated daily oral PrEP. Product form and dosing was the most important attribute at enrolment and month 1. At enrolment, women preferred small oral pills taken monthly (preference weight [PW]: 0.67; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.58−0.77), and at month 1, they preferred a 6-monthly injection (PW: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.46−0.65). In the month 3 DCE, location was the most important PrEP delivery attribute with a strong preference for a youth-friendly or non-governmental organization (PW: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.19−0.30) or health facility (PW: 0.21; 95% CI: 0.17−0.25); mobile clinic or van was least preferred. The cost of the product was the second most important product delivery attribute. Young African women preferred discreet, less frequently administered PrEP formulations, particularly after 1 month of taking daily oral PrEP. Long-acting formulations are needed to meet women?s preferences. Coupled with the preferred PrEP delivery location and cost, the highlighted PrEP product characteristics have the potential to increase PrEP uptake.
New African thinkers: considering peace and development in Africa
No full textHistorically, fossil fuels, notably coal, have formed the foundational energy source underpinning industrialisation and economic expansion, providing reliable energy. However, this dependence on fossil fuels poses substantial challenges to sustainable development. While these energy sources have historically driven economic progress, they are simultaneously the predominant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating climate change and causing environmental degradation.
From Johannesburg’s riverbanks: navigating the Jukskei
No full textIt is often remarked that Johannesburg is exceptional as a major city in that it has no large body of water. While it may be true that the city does not boast commercial harbours, busy canals, or navigable rivers, spruits and wetlands saturate the city, and are home to many of its non-human inhabitants. These have largely been overlooked as participants in the urbanization of Johannesburg despite shaping, and being shaped by, the city’s development. This book’s focus on the Jukskei river—in which some of the first gold was found on the Witwatersrand—invites a re-centering of waterways as a device to organize how we think about this baffling city.N/
Gender mainstreaming as a strategy for achieving the Sustainable Development Goal no. 5 on Gender Equality
Get PDFHSRC Policy Brief, MarchKey messages from this policy brief:
1. Gender equality legislation exists in South Africa, although implementation is not enforced.
2. Enforcement is encumbered by lack of an overarching enforcing legislation. The signing of the Women Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill must be fast-tracked, and an enforcement legislation framework introduced.
3. Policy actions to stimulate public discourses around approval and adoption of the overarching enforcement legislation are needed.N/
Orlando West, Soweto: youth reflections on 30 years of democracy and beyond
No full textOn 1 February 2025, residents of Orlando West in Soweto gathered at Uncle Tom’s Art Centre to celebrate their history while reflecting on 30 years of democracy and beyond. The HSRC and the University of Johannesburg hosted the event to share research findings from the HSRC’s Democracy@30 Project in Orlando West.N/
Computable general equilibrium-microsimulation analysis of electricity price increases in South Africa
No full textThis paper deals with an important issue of energy resources, especially electricity, and their critical role in addressing a key aspect of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically the goal of poverty alleviation. The analysis applies a computable general equilibrium-microsimulation model to analyse the economy-wide and distributional impacts of the increase in electricity price in an emerging economy with limited electricity supply. A key benefit of this model is that it addresses the distributional and poverty impacts related to the change in electricity prices, which have yet to be covered in previous studies. The paper simulates an actual price increase experienced in the economy and an increase linked to inflation. While the macro results show a negative impact on the economy in terms of a decrease in GDP, an increase in prices and an increase in unemployment, the micro results indicate that poverty declines as measured by the rate and poverty incidence curves. Several policy implications arise from these findings, such as considering more progressive taxation policies to counteract the slight increase in inequality resulting from higher electricity prices.
Democracy@30: “We are not seen” – experiences of Langa residents living with disabilities
No full textAs South Africa celebrates 30 years of postapartheid democracy in 2024, individuals with disabilities remain among the most discriminated against and marginalised groups in society. Dane Isaacs and Diana Sanchez Betancourt share insights from the first phase of the HSRC’s Democracy@30 Project, conducted in the township of Langa, Cape Town.N/