Using a new methodology for foresight studies, this book presents new findings and policy recommendations to improve living conditions and make progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Using the case of South Africa, the respective chapters show how social and economic challenges can be addressed in an inclusive and sustainable way. The book also provides guidelines for practitioners by introducing them to cutting-edge ways of formulating Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) policies.   The new foresight methodology uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, including horizon scanning and scenario planning, as well as big data analysis, scientometric and semantic methods. The innovative approaches developed throughout the book are subsequently demonstrated using a national foresight study in South Africa. The outputs and outcomes generated by the study can be used to inform the identification and selection of priorities for the next decadal plan for STI. The book offers a valuable asset for emerging and developing economies in Africa and around the world in terms of tackling the grand challenges of the 21st century, such as water, food, energy, climate change, health and education.

This book presents a holistic perspective and analysis of democratic practice, processes, and governance in South Africa. It examines the development in the South African governing system and its response to the challenges of the crisis of governance under the influence of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). While doing so, the book's central objective is to examine the progress of the South African government in strengthening democracy and political governance.

This book examines the adoption of digital technologies in different sectors in South Africa. The authors investigate how digital innovation impacts development in various areas in the public and private sectors. Chapters in the book cover digital transformation in authorities and government bodies and how this transforms governance, this includes digital transformation for good governance in the public sector, tax authorities, local government, and traditional authorities. The second set of chapters emphasizes the digital transformation of business corporations, such as digital transformation lessons for small businesses, digital transformation of finance, and the banking sector. Other chapters delve into enterprise processes such as auditing, corporate reporting, good corporate reputation, enterprise risk management, and marketing environment. The book will appeal to an audience of scholars and professionals wanting to understand more about the role of digital transformation in emerging economies and how innovation influences economic growth.

This book analyzes the new political economy of land reform in South Africa. It takes a holistic approach to understand South Africa’s land reform, assesses the current policy gaps, and suggests ways of filling them.

The book is an examination of specific public sector reforms in three core public administration areas in the democratic South Africa: political-administrative relationships, the delegation of authority to senior managers and performance management. The author traces developments of policy following a rapid political shift, shedding light on previously unexplored evolving structures and systems.

This volume examines the South Africa-China relationship through a survey of its diplomatic partnership, economic ties, and broader community relations. These important aspects that are often conflated as a single relationship, yet what is important to explore are how these components reflect different China-South Africa relationship(s), and how they intersect.

This volume offers a unique interdisciplinary and comparative perspective on contemporary processes of othering by state institutions in relation to dynamics of racism, xenophobia, sexism, homo-transphobia, as well as ethnic- and class-based discriminations. It focuses on eight original case studies empirically grounded in various domains of the 'social state', in Southern African and Western European contexts: the education and health care systems, the regulation of work and of procreation rights, and institutions in charge of granting asylum. The authors provide key insights on how states produce Others, and on how othering contributes in turn to the process of state formation and the politicization of public action.

The book provides a reflective account of the evolution of the territorial governance structures and processes in South Africa over a period of 30 years after the transition to a post-apartheid society in 1994. It also considers the role and influence of these changing governance institutions and processes and their associated outputs (in the form of policies and plans) on several priority dimensions of urban spatial transformation. The synthesis of the experiences and lessons learnt provides the bases for contemplating important future focus areas for territorial governance such as spatial transformation towards smart cities, an African perspective for future South African cities, and transitioning towards a streamlined integrated territorial governance system.

This book showcases Nigerian and South African experiences on space politics, policy and strategy vis-à-vis their development and security aspirations, while contributing to the broader African and the Global-South perspectives on the subject. Space policy in developing countries such as Nigeria and South Africa is motivated by utilitarian promises that space and the attendant technologies have the potential to advance development and security interests of the affected nations. However, several decades into the orbital journey of these countries, little is known of their space politics, policies, strategies, capacities and capabilities, and realisation of desired objectives. Beyond pure and applied sciences reductionism, this book offers social science perspectives on space studies in Africa, as it examines the intricate relationships of historical, geographical, social, demographic, economic, political, administrative, and strategic factors, nationally, regionally and globally thathave shaped research and development of space science and technologies, and their benefits, in Nigeria and South Africa.

This book investigates the life experiences of youth in South Africa, considering whether contemporary youth have benefitted from the socioeconomic reconstruction of post-apartheid society. Student protests against apartheid drove transformative change in South Africa, and the subsequent new constitution promised positive change for the nation's youth across a range of sectors. Adopting a sociological perspective, this book uses primary and secondary data sources to illustrate the myriad ways post-apartheid socioeconomic developments have impacted the life experiences of the country's youth across areas including health, education, family life, economic activity, technology, substance use, and politics. The book considers the historical legacy of colonialism, racism and immigration in shaping the context in which youth experiences in the country have evolved. The book argues that in 1976 South Africa's youth became the conscience of the nation when they brought the apartheid regime to its knees during the Soweto uprising. What happens to them now will continue to define the nation's future.