Budget Vote 2025/26: Science at the Centre of Government, Society & Development

In this debut episode of Science for Change, we spotlight the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation’s (DSTI) role in shaping a transformed, inclusive and innovation-driven South Africa.

As DSTI prepares to implement its 2025/26 budget, we unpack how science is positioned at the heart of government policy, economic development, and societal transformation. From key funding allocations to the vision of a National System of Innovation (NSI), the discussion explores how the department is driving inclusive growth, education, and job creation through research and innovation.

We also reflect on the Department’s transformation journey since apartheid, its five strategic programmes, and its investment in human capital, infrastructure, and partnerships across the African continent and beyond.

Topics Covered:

• DSTI’s 2025/26 Budget Priorities

• Science as a tool for inclusion and national development

• Key innovation programmes and partner institutions (CSIR, NRF, SANSA, etc.)

• The STI Decadal Plan (2022–2032)

• Challenges and opportunities in a fiscally constrained environment