It is a great honour to come and address you as young people today and to speak about the role of my department in contributing to the development of our country and to speak about Africa’s challenges and opportunities. You have asked me to speak on the following issues:
- The challenges which my department is trying to solve;
- Major challenges that Africa is facing;
- The role of the youth in responding or assisting in addressing these challenges.
DST national challenges
Since the democratic government of 1994 significant progress has been made towards making South Africa a just and inclusive society for all.
But there are still major challenges that lie ahead such as addressing the high level of unemployment; an unequal education system; and inadequate access to quality health care.
Government has taken steps to address these challenges in developing policies and programmes such as the New Growth Path; Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP2); implementation of the Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) programme; Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) and other programmes and initiatives aimed at responding to these challenges.
The South African economy is not growing as fast as it could. If the economy does not grow this has a direct impact on job creation.
The government has launched the New Growth Path that recognises the importance of job creation and focuses on growth in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors, and investment in a knowledge based economy. The National Development Plan also identifies key objectives such as improving the functioning of the labour market, especially to help young people access work; increasing public infrastructure spending and raising competiveness and exports.
DST’s mandate and role
This now brings me to the role of my department in responding to and addressing these national challenges. The DST develops, coordinates and manages a National System of Innovation (NSI) that includes research councils, universities and government research bodies. In coordinating and managing the innovation system we are implementing key strategies such as the National Research and Development Strategy (NRDS) and Ten-Year Innovation Plan (TYIP).
South Africa undertakes less than 1% if global research. Our intention is to increase this. Science is global in reach and scope, and therefore it is important to promote and facilitate global S&T linkages to enhance technological cooperation, technology transfer and diffusion and to develop capacities to innovate in specific focus areas such as health, water, sanitation, agriculture and food security, energy and education.
We are also promoting support for and expansion of a knowledge economy in South Africa and Africa. We want to change our profile from reliance on raw minerals export income to a country that has an industrial base that is adept to use technology and research to add value, create new products and processes to derive commercial value from this ‘intellectual’ investment.
Thus through the implementation of the Ten Year Innovation Plan my department seeks to contribute to the transformation of the South African economy into a knowledge-based economy, in which the production and dissemination of knowledge will lead to economic benefits and enrich all fields of human endeavour. The TYIP identified 5 Grand Challenge areas that we now focus our attention on:
- Bio-economy
- Global Change
- Space Science
- Energy
- Human and Social Sciences
Innovation needs people – well-trained, effective scientists, engineers and technologists. There is increasing evidence that our progress in producing scientists, engineers and technologists is not yet satisfactory. We therefore need a number of interventions to strengthen the transformation of our science and technology capacity to achieve increased numbers of people working in key fields that are of importance to the future.
Awareness of STI is the key to achieve increased entry into the SET fields, therefore my department has put in place a Youth into Science Strategy. As I mentioned earlier the major challenge facing the science and technology system is the need to build new human capital in science, engineering and technology.
The Youth into Science Strategy seeks to enhance science and technology literacy among the public in general, in particular the youth, and enrol more representative youth with talent and potential into science, engineering and technology careers. The strategy is being implemented through the National Science Week activities and the network of science centres located in all provinces, who play an important role in implementing the strategy.
The campaign to promote the Public Understanding of Science, Engineering and Technology (PUSET) began as far back as 1998 with the Year of Science and Technology.
The campaign focuses on two goals; to promote science and technology literacy and to promote the power of science and technology. The first goal aims to help people to become more aware of the natural world and understand the principle of science and technology and the second goal aims to promote the use of science and technology knowledge to enhance personal, social, economic and community development. The Youth into Science Strategy targets school-going youth and undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Africa Focus
Africa has 35% of the world’s least developed countries and nearly 70% of the continent’s people live on less than $US2 per day. An estimated 22.5 million people are living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, including 2.3 million children. Nearly 1 million people suffer needlessly without access to clean water.
New infrastructure has been the key contributor to Africa’s recent improved growth performance and has the potential to contribute more in the future.
Power is the biggest infrastructure challenge for Africa with 30 countries facing regular power shortages and many paying high tariffs for power. Infrastructure services in Africa are twice as expensive as elsewhere in the world. The cost of addressing Africa’s infrastructure needs is estimated at around $93 billion a year, about one-third of which is for maintenance.
Africa’s growth still falls short of the 7% needed to achieve substantial poverty reduction and the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. Therefore investment in infrastructure will play a key role in Africa’s economic turnaround and an even greater role in supporting the continent to reach its development targets.
However, Africa is the second fastest growing economy in the world. The continent has a youthful population, which has greater access to education than ever before; rapid urbanisation and a diverse entrepreneurial culture. The time for Africa’s growth is now, we must not misuse the opportunities of this age.
Access to internet has grown from 10 million users to almost 100 million users. We need to support young people’s access to all ICT resources, for learning, leisure and application development. ICT offers massive growth potential. South African businesses have a large foot print in the region and continent and this is increasing by the day.
Companies and industry such as MTN; Vadacom; Checkers; Mr Price; Protea Hotels; financial services industry and so on, are located in various parts of the region and continent, they create jobs, new partnerships, innovative services and African foreign direct investment.
Role of the Youth
According to the African Union’s State of African Youth Report (2011), in “2010 young people aged between 15-24 years accounted for 20.2 % of the total African population.
The report further states that “it is important for Africa’s youth bulge to be recognised as an opportunity to revive the continents socio-economic capital”.
Many young people across the continent face similar challenges of unemployment; access to education; lack of basic services; lack of skills; threats of HIV/AIDS and poverty.
According to the National Youth Development Agency report (2011), South Africa faces similar challenges to most developing countries with a large youth population representing almost two thirds of the total population. The youth population between the ages of 14 to 35 years represent 41.2 % of the total population as per the mid-year 2010 population estimates by Stats SA.
The report further states that “South Africa’s demographic profile shows a population age structure that is young, providing an opportunity to explore and implement policies and programmes that would get maximum benefits from its youthful population”.
Each one of us has an important role to play to contribute to the development of the country and continent as a whole.
How many of you are involved in community service, volunteering your skills to make a difference in your communities and surrounding environments?
Many initiatives and programmes do not require funds but time and skills.
I also challenge the SRC to mobilise students to participate in community service and development and to be the champions of change in our societies.
Further, you are all aware that much of the anti-colonial struggle has been against ethnicity resource exploitation of Africa, and balkanisation. Part of the task our youth should take on is to fight xenophobia, promote unity in Africa and acquire skills that will support African youth participation in economic development.
You as student leaders have a vital role to play in changing the Afro pessimism that constrains African ambition and progress. You need to regard problems as opportunities and ensure that as you study to succeed you fully grasp the complex and contending tasks we all have to give attention to in South Africa and Africa, an increasingly equal society where justice and freedom are assured for the good of all.
You are all encouraged to participate in the National Science Week activities of 2012.
