The HSRC Connect panel “From Data to Dialogue – Re-imagining South Africa’s Public Relationship with Science” explores how science lives in people’s everyday realities and how policy, data and engagement can bring it closer to all South Africans.

Filmed at Iziko Museum, the discussion centres on the South African Public Relationship with Science (SAPRS) Survey, a first-of-its-kind national study tracking public knowledge, attitudes, trust and engagement with science over time. Panelists unpack key findings: South Africans are generally knowledgeable about science that affects daily life, hold high levels of trust in scientists, yet experience unequal access to opportunities for engagement, shaped by income, education, geography, gender and race.

The conversation highlights the role of museums, outreach, digital platforms and local languages in making science visible, relatable and inclusive, especially for marginalised communities and girls in STEM. The panel also looks ahead to the next survey cycle and the rise of AI, stressing the need to close digital divides, support citizen science, and use robust data to guide policy, shift the culture of science, and ensure that science truly becomes “for everyone.”

Watch the episode, premiering at 12pm, today, Monday 16 Feb: