Dear Stakeholder,

The HSRC would like to invite you to join our webinar on research and policy influence on 18 March 2026. The discussion will contribute to robust debates on the role of research and evidence in policymaking, examining the gap between knowledge production and policymaking.

The webinar will explore practical ways to strengthen the uptake of research to enhance the use of evidence in decision-making.

Bringing together practitioners and researchers from different arms of the state, academia and civil society, it will be a platform to share real-world experiences and strategies for using evidence to meaningfully influence policy.

Dr. Ayanda Hlatshwayo is Acting Chief Data Analytics Officer at South Africa’s National Treasury, where she also serves as Chief Director of the Treasury’s Data Lab. In this role, she leads key initiatives focused on harnessing data to improve public sector performance.

Most recently, Mr. Tshepo Moloi served as an economic analyst at the Parliamentary Budget Office, where he was responsible for analysing the fiscal framework and South Africa’s macroeconomic situation. In this role, he also provided research and analysis of other policies to support Members of Parliament in fulfilling their oversight role over the executive.

Dr. Ruth Stewart is the director of the Alliance for Living Evidence at the Future Evidence Foundation, leading an initiative to develop and test living evidence partnerships. She specialises in engaging a wide range of stakeholders, bridging the research, policy and practice arenas.

Date: 18 March 2026

Time: 13:30–15:30

Venue: Online

Registration Link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_T3404cNxRS2gBRA1R4HKZw#/registration

Contact: mmadubye@hsrc.ac.za or bmatlala@hsrc.ac.za