Minister Blade Nzimande on historic launch of implementation plan for STISA-2034

Last week, the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Prof. Blade Nzimande, undertook an official visit to Ethiopia, the main purpose of which was to attend the inaugural high-level Science, Technology, and Innovation Week and strengthen bilateral cooperation with Ethiopia.

Held on the margins of the 39th African Union Summit and convened by the African Union Commission (AUC) and AUDA-NEPAD, Science, Technology and Innovation Week showcased Africa’s progress towards implementing the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA 2034) and further mobilised AU Member States, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and partners to further domesticate the strategy.

The highlight of STI Week was the launch of the AUDA-NEPAD 2030 EdTech Vision and Plan and the Implementation Plan for STISA 2034.

The AUDA-NEPAD 2030 EdTech Vision and Plan is a continental framework designed to establish education technology as a critical public digital infrastructure. The plan envisions an inclusive, interoperable pan-African EdTech ecosystem where local innovation thrives.

Along with other Ministers and the AU Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Minister Nzimande launched the Science, Technology, and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA 2034) Implementation Plan.

STISA 2034 is the African Union's second 10-year strategy designed to place science, technology, and innovation (STI) at the heart of Africa's socio-economic development and growth. It builds on the foundation laid by its predecessor, STISA-2024, and aligns with the broader goals of AU Agenda 2063.

The Implementation Plan that was launched last week in Ethiopia will serve as the framework for executing STISA 2034, detailing how actions will be operationalised, resources mobilised, and outcomes achieved over the next decade.

Speaking at this high-level event, Minister Nzimande emphasised the need to place science, technology, and innovation at the centre of Africa’s development by asserting that “It is my firm belief that, if we are to change Africa’s development trajectory and its relationship with the rest of the world in a meaningful way over the next 10 to 20 years, one of the things that all African governments need to do as a matter of top priority is to place science, technology, and innovation at the centre of all national development initiatives."

"If we fail to do this, in the near future, we are likely to relive the embarrassment we experienced at the height of the global outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, when the lives of millions of Africans were dependent on vaccines that had to be procured from outside the African continent,” warned Minister Nzimande.

Highlighting South Africa’s efforts to support the implementation of STISA 2034, Minister Nzimande stated that “The priorities of STISA 2034 align perfectly with the priorities of South Africa’s Decadal Plan for Science, Technology, and Innovation (2022-2032) and for this reason, South Africa remains committed to ensuring the realisation of the goals of STISA 2034."

"Even though we welcome the commitment made by our partners in pledging to invest 50 million Canadian dollars in supporting the implementation of STISA 2034, I call on us as AU Member States especially my fellow ministers: let us invest in programmes and interventions to support the implementation of STISA 2034.”

He added that "I have tasked our country’s National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI) with the support of the African Union to help us map the opportunity of establishing a Pan African Research, Development, and Innovation Fund/Foundation (ARDIF), and I am also happy to announce that through our National Research Foundation (NRF), South Africa will be investing R50 million over five years under phase three of the new Science Granting Council Initiative (SGCI-3).”

Minister Nzimande also reiterated his call for a “sovereign research agenda for Africa," which he explained as “a research agenda that is designed, funded, and driven by Africans.”

Minister Nzimande also used the opportunity of his visit to Ethiopia to have a bilateral engagement with his counterpart, Ethiopia’s Minister of Innovation and Technology, Dr. Belete Molla. South Africa enjoys cordial relations with Ethiopia and cooperation in science, technology, and innovation in such critical areas as indigenous knowledge systems, nanotechnology, and space science, including astronomy.

Minister Nzimande’s participation in the high-level STI Week reaffirms South Africa’s commitment and leadership in advancing South Africa's foreign policy through knowledge, science, and innovation diplomacy.

Enquiries:
Media Liaison Officer and Spokesperson to the Minister
Veli Mbele
Cell: 064 615 0644
E-mail: Veli.Mbele@dsti.gov.za

#GovZAUpdates