No country can expect to reach its development goals without investing in its science, technology, and innovation (STI) capabilities.
This was said by Blade Nzimande, the minister of science, technology and innovation, during the basic education sector’s Lekgotla, which began on Tuesday in Benoni, Gauteng.
He told delegates that the country possesses the largest public science system in Africa, which he said is backed by institutions that include the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the Human Sciences Research Council, the National Research Foundation, and the South African National Space Agency.
“As part of enhancing our country’s ability to respond to our historical and contemporary challenges, over the past three decades, we have made significant investments with the view of strengthening our country’s STI capabilities.
“To make the point that one of the reasons why our country is an emerging global leader in the science domains I have mentioned is because of the basic training in math and science that our young people receive through our public education system,” said Nzimande.
The minister also said that the country hosts two of the world’s largest scientific instruments, such as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and the Southern African Large Telescope, and pointed out that SKA has also been used to support math and science education in rural areas such as Carnarvon in the Northern Cape.
He also highlighted the Nuclear Medicine Research Infrastructure facility at Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria, which supports drug development, clinical research and advanced diagnostics for diseases including cancer and tuberculosis, is one of the important medical facilities in the country.
As he emphasised the importance of establishing a future-proof education system, Nzimande said that this is marked by armed conflicts, the threat of pandemics, economic and digital inequality, climate change, biodiversity loss, disruptive technologies, and an increasing threat to multilateralism.
Emphasis on digital and future skills
“All these challenges have made the future of humanity increasingly uncertain and have forced us to rethink not only the kind of economic systems we would need to build a shared future for humanity, but also what kind of knowledge and skills we would need to realise such a future.”
Nzimande also said that education should emphasise digital and future skills for young people, especially in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology, and the creation of digital solutions.
“Equally important is the need to complement classroom-based instruction with extracurricular activities that stretch their minds and provide learners with a platform to put into practice the core scientific principles from the classroom in problem-solving scenarios,” he said.
He said that his department is rolling out several initiatives aimed at future-proofing education by equipping learners with digital and future skills, which include support for STEM Olympiads that allow learners to engage directly with science, technology, engineering and mathematics while building analytical and problem-solving skills.
Nzimande also cited concerns raised by the basic education minister, Siviwe Gwarube, that only 34% of 2025 matriculation candidates wrote mathematics and highlighted practical interventions, including support for a KwaZulu-Natal primary school whose learners recently placed second in a coding and robotics competition.
He also raised the possibility of a special program to help underperforming matric learners obtain their certificates and prepare for further study.
“I believe that as a government and as a country, we must demonstrate a greater appreciation for the role and contribution of our educators,” he said.
