The forecast for higher education researchers in South Africa indicates a steady increase from 23.55 thousand FTEs in 2024 to 24.6 thousand FTEs by 2028. Observing past trends, 2023 had 23.28 thousand FTEs, demonstrating moderate growth. Year-on-year variations for 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028 show an upward trend, with the average annual increase or CAGR over the five years at around 1.4%.
Future trends to watch for:
- Increased government funding for research and development in higher education.
- Enhanced collaboration between universities and industry partners.
- Growing emphasis on STEM fields leading to higher researcher counts.
- Potential policy changes affecting researcher mobility and staffing levels.
