Minister Blade Nzimande warns that South Africa will not reach its full potential if women and girls remain excluded from opportunities in science, technology and innovation.
[Story] South Africa cannot reach its full potential if women and girls remain excluded from opportunities in science, technology and innovation, says minister Blade Nzimande.
Nzimande made his remarks at 23rd South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA), which recognise and reward excellence in science, technology and innovation (STI) by South African women.
Held under the theme: “Placing women at the centre of science, technology and innovation”, the awards also celebrate researchers and scientists, whose achievements inspire the next generation of women and girls to pursue careers in STI.
At the awards gala dinner, Nzimande highlighted the need to confront persistent structural inequalities in the country’s science system.
While there have been gains for women in the academic workforce, national research workforce, university enrolments and the South African Research Chairs Initiative, the country’s transformation journey remains incomplete, he said.
“Women remain underrepresented in research leadership and critical STEM disciplines, like engineering, computer science and artificial intelligence,” noted Nzimande.
“Early-career researchers face heavy structural barriers, from intense teaching loads to limited research time. Paradoxically, while women lead institutional research, female-owned tech enterprises face severe venture capital deficiencies.”
To address these challenges, Nzimande noted his Department of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Technology Innovation Agency are committed to providing targeted seed funding, incubation and venture capital to female-led technological enterprises.
“Our objective is to empower women not just as high-calibre researchers and scientists, but as enterprise founders and industrial pioneers. Meaningful transformation cannot end with a published paper; it must extend into intellectual property, patents and global market leadership,” he added.
Nzimande said the impact of the SAWiSA 2026 theme should be reflected in a significant increase in the participation of women and girls in STEM over the next 10 to 20 years.
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