PhDs are important for South Africa’s growth: more support for doctoral candidates who work full-time is key

Zama Mthombeni

South Africa’s government and higher education sector have invested a lot of time and money over the past two decades to enhance the country’s research output and cultivate the next generation of researchers.

Though there has been some progress, South Africa still isn’t close to its National Development Plan target of reaching 100 PhDs per one million people by 2030. By 2021 the rate stood at 59 PhDs per million people.

A doctoral degree is the highest academic qualification awarded by universities. Obtaining a PhD means a researcher has advanced knowledge in their field and credibility in academia. These qualities can pave the way for opportunities to make groundbreaking scientific contributions. So, efforts continue to grow South Africa’s PhD cohort. These largely take the form of funding initiatives driven by, among others, the National Research Foundation (NRF).

But these initiatives often overlook doctoral students who work full-time while