Every August for the past 25 years, South Africa has taken time to reflect on the importance of science in shaping our future. National Science Week (NSW), initiated by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), has become a highlight on our calendar, providing opportunities for citizens to engage with science and technology, often in communities where such access is limited.

This year’s theme, “Science, Technology and Innovation are for Everyone,” is more than just a celebratory slogan. It tests our collective resolve. It challenges us to confront the gap between aspiration and reality. Who has access to science and the opportunities it provides? Who is truly included in the innovation economy, and who remains excluded, not because of a lack of talent but due to a lack of opportunity?

Over the years, National Science Week has expanded into a national programme, attracting over 300,000 participants annually across all nine provinces. It has been supported by science centres, mobile laboratories, and outreach initiatives that bring science to rural schools and communities. The DSI’s Innovation for Inclusive Development programme has also promoted grassroots solutions, from water purification systems to digital learning tools.

Yet, structural barriers still exist. In the 2023 matric results, only 26% of learners took pure mathematics, and just over half of those scored above 40%. In physical sciences, fewer than 40% passed at the same level. More than 70% of public schools lack fully equipped science laboratories, and many rural schools do not have a single qualified maths or science teacher. This weakens the STEM pipeline that we urgently need to strengthen.

The challenge extends beyond education. In a time shaped by artificial intelligence, biotechnology, renewable energy, and advanced manufacturing, over 45% of households still lack internet access. For many rural learners, digital skills and exposure to new technologies remain out of reach. As some young people noted during this year’s National Science Week, AI may be trending worldwide, but for them, it is something they have never seen, let alone used.

These realities make institutional contributions to public science engagement even more essential. At the Vaal University of Technology, our Science Week initiatives are intended not just as single events, but as building blocks for a sustained, inclusive science culture.

For learners from under-resourced schools, our practical demonstrations and workshops make abstract concepts tangible and engaging. Through our Schools Programme, we collaborate with Grade 12 students to improve maths and science skills, addressing gaps that, if ignored, could limit access to STEM careers.

Equally important, Science Week at VUT bridges the gap between academia, government agencies such as the Technology Innovation Agency, and industry partners. These collaborations transform awareness into capacity, and capacity into tangible solutions. Our research events, innovation hubs, and the efforts of our Technology Transfer and Innovation unit help convert ideas into practical applications that strengthen the regional innovation ecosystem.

Transitioning from inspiration to inclusion at a national level demands deliberate effort. Incorporating coding and robotics into school curricula is promising, but its success depends on training teachers, equipping classrooms, and ensuring rural and township schools are not left behind. Without these measures, the reform could increase, rather than reduce, the divide.

The DSI’s plan to establish at least one high-quality science centre in each province should be accelerated. These centres should do more than host exhibitions; they should function as community laboratories, offering after-school programmes, adult skills training, and spaces for local innovators. Local governments should take an active role, integrating innovation into service delivery, from affordable sanitation to community Wi-Fi.

We must also reinforce our commitment to open science. Research funded by the public should be accessible to everyone, translated into local languages, available online without paywalls, and actively shared within communities. Science should not be a discussion reserved for experts.

At VUT, we see ourselves as part of a national effort to ensure science benefits society. This requires humility in listening to communities, respect for indigenous knowledge, and conducting research that addresses real-world issues, whether energy poverty, food insecurity, or youth unemployment.

However, universities cannot achieve this alone. Government, industry, and civil society all have a role to play in fostering a continuous rather than seasonal science culture. The National Science Week is vital for raising awareness, but the real measure of success is whether its spirit endures in everyday practice, in classrooms, research laboratories, community halls, and boardrooms.

Marking 25 years of the National Science Week should not be a moment of self-congratulation. It should be a call to action. We have effective models – mobile labs, science centres, innovation hubs, school outreach – and inspiring examples of young South Africans turning ideas into solutions. What we need now is scale, coordination, and long-term investment.

If we commit to this, the theme ‘Science, Technology and Innovation are for Everyone’ will shift from mere intent to actual reality.

Let us ensure no child’s curiosity goes unfulfilled due to lack of opportunity. Let us develop the infrastructure, skills, and partnerships needed to make science a genuine public good, and do so with the urgency that the next 25 years require.

* Professor Ndlovu is the Vice-Chancellor of the Vaal University of Technology (VUT).

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media. 

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