South Africa aims for global success in science and innovation

South Africa has created space for scientists to contribute to its foreign policy and ensure that science diplomacy features in the country’s diplomatic relations. This is according to Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor, who was addressing a session of the World Science Forum on Thursday, 8 December 2022. “We have allowed ourselves as South Africa to be led by our colleagues in the science system and it is them who are really driving government to ensure that in the diplomatic space there is a science agenda,” said the minister.

“We work hard at attracting foreign direct investment into our science and technology sector.

It is due to this desire of South Africa for international science cooperation that we have increasingly come to see science diplomacy as an important instrument of our foreign policy.” As a result, South Africa inserts the agenda of science, technology and innovation in every multilateral organisation it finds itself in such as Southern African Development Community, African Union, BRICS, the United Nations