South Africa Innovation Ecosystem Mapping Final Report
This report builds upon the second national IP&TT survey (2014-2018)4 undertaken by National Intellectual Property Management Office (NIPMO), which investigated the extent of research commercialisation in South African public universities. Specifically, this report details outputs of a project, which combined the mutual objectives of the British Council and the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) programme, to understand the current barriers and enablers of the 26 South African public university innovation ecosystems. Using a combination of an innovation ecosystem baseline survey across the public universities, five focus groups and a two-day workshop, Oxentia gathered primary feedback and insights into gaps and areas of need. All findings have been summarised in this report with key themes and trends highlighted, recommendations proposed and an ‘action plan’ of short, medium and long-term actionable priority interventions.
Reports
A special GEM Report on Women Entrepreneurship in South Africa – Prof Natanya Meyer
Women’s entrepreneurship is a critical component of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. It contributes to socioeconomic development through job creation, innovation, poverty reduction, and levelling inequality. In addition, women bring a diverse and unique skill set to entrepreneurship.
The GEM Women’s Entrepreneurship Report South Africa is of interest to students, practitioners, scholars of entrepreneurship, and economic development and public policy practitioners. It is a relevant resource for students of entrepreneurship, particularly women’s entrepreneurship and economic development, at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
2023 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor South Africa (GEM SA)
The annual GEM report is considered the most authoritative global trend study of the state of entrepreneurship, measuring entrepreneurial activity levels and attitudes, the contribution of entrepreneurship to national economies, and the quality of the enabling environment. Read more…
EDHE Studentpreneurs Indaba 2023 Report
The purpose of this report is to summarize the discussions that took place at the Enterprise Development in Higher Education Programme (EDHE) Studentpreneurs Indaba that was held in Cape Town over a period of two days (4 – 5 September 2023). The Studentpreneurs Indaba forms part of the EDHE programme which was initiated in 2016 and formally launched in 2017; the programme was initiated in response to high youth unemployment, particularly graduate unemployment. It houses 26 universities in South Africa and aims to transform these academic institutions into entrepreneurial universities that can equip students with the knowledge and skills that will enable them to be economically active while pursuing their studies and after completing their qualification should they not find employment. The goals of the EDHE programme are summarised as to drive student entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship development in academia and the development of entrepreneurial universities.
EDHE Lekgotla 2023 Report
The seventh EDHE Lekgotla was co-hosted by the University of the Western Cape, the Department of Higher Education and Training, Universities South Africa, and the Cape Higher Education Consortium. The EDHE Lekgotla was hosted through a Hybrid format that allowed for in person gatherings and online access via the EDHE YouTube channel.
The Lekgotla was held from the 6th to the 8th of September 2023, at the University of the Western Cape, under the theme “Social Innovation for Societal Impact”. The interactive engagements between the speakers, panellists and delegates included open sessions, Think-Tanks, Voices for impact and launchpads facilitated with stakeholders from public universities, the private and government sectors.
Read the report here
National University Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Baseline Report
A research study conducted by Pivot Global Education for the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) Programme of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and Universities South Africa (USAf), in partnership with the British Council.
UNECA Report
A research study conducted by Ms. Chimene Chetty for the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) Programme of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and Universities South Africa (USAf), in partnership with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), the Department Science and Innovation (DSI), and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
Voices Unite Research Report for SWEEP
Through USAF’s Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE), the programme currently referred to as “SWEEP” – Student Women Entrepreneurship Empowerment Programme – will aim to guide and empower female students across South Africa who are currently entrepreneurs and those who have ambitions to become entrepreneurs.
As a partner of EDHE and SWEEP, Voices Unite* has compiled this brief research report to help guide the plans for the SWEEP programme and to serve as a starting point for future research. The report draws from data and insights that were collected through the Voices Unite research platform during 2020 and which may be potentially relevant to SWEEP.