Deputy Minister Nomalungelo Gina: Portfolio Committee briefing on Science, Technology and Innovation’s revised 2024/25 Annual Performance Plan

Chairperson of the Committee
Committee Whip
Honourable Members
Officials from the Department

Ladies and Gentlemen

Thank you very much for the opportunity to appear before this august committee.  Indeed, the year has begun in earnest; we are hard at work and busy with important preparations for the series of engagements that are associated with the hosting of the G20. Our Minister, Prof. Blade Nzimande, is the Chairperson of the G20 Research and Innovation Working Group.

Honourable Members, today we are here to give account of the Department's performance, both financial and non-financial, for quarters two and three of this financial year – in line with our Annual Performance Plan.

We are happy to announce that our performance in both quarters was good.  Overall, in quarter 2 we achieved 45,88%, and in quarter 3 we achieved 32,76% of the set targets. My team here will drill down to the details in their presentation and elucidate each performance indicator to give a clear picture of what we achieved and what we did not.

We did not achieve in some areas as a result of external factors, and in others because of the disruptive nature of a year that marked the end of the old administration and the beginning of a new one.

Without getting into details, I want to highlight a few achievements which excited me.

On Outcome 2, human capabilities and skills for the economy and development, I am excited that, among other achievements, the Department, through the National Research Foundation, exceeded its target for bursary support to researchers and emerging researchers by 4,8% and 104%, respectively [in quarter 2]. Research grants awarded to black female emerging researchers were exceeded by 17%.  This helps us in addressing equity targets in the STI environment.

On outcome 3, increased knowledge generation and innovation output, in July last year we reached a milestone by assembling the first SKA-Mid telescope 15 metre dish in the Northern Cape.  This achievement was led by the SKA Observatory working with the Southern Africa Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) in collaboration with the 54th Research Institute of the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation.

A lot of progress has been made in space science.  The South African National Space Agency is leading the charge in many of these advances.  Through our funding we also helped the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Aerospace Systems Research (ASRI) to commission a sub-orbital sounding rocket launch facility in the Western Cape.

Another one exciting achievement in the last two quarters, under Outcome 4, has been the launch of the Seed Fund of Funds, designed for SMMEs in the innovation space that struggle to get funding at an early stage of product development. Many funding institutions such as banks and government funding agencies do not fund early-stage development of concepts and prototypes. They see it as risky for their investments. We are assuming the risk of funding these SMMES to develop these technologies at an early stage where they need it the most.  We have put R300 million into this fund.  I see it as a game changer for SMMEs.

As I have said, the Acting DG and the team will get into the details and expand on all areas of our performance.

I want to thank you, the Chairperson and members of the committee, and commit to being at your service all the time!

Thank you.

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