Editor’s note
South Africa has made significant progress since the advent of democracy three decades ago. However, many South Africans continue to face persistent challenges in various aspects of their daily lives.
As part of the HSRC’s Democracy@30 Project, our researchers, together with their collaborators, have conducted fieldwork across the country, visiting sites such as Gqeberha, Makhanda, Mxekazi and Cwebe in the Eastern Cape; Sweetwaters and Wentworth in KwaZulu-Natal; Luka in North West; QwaQwa in the Free State; Langa in the Western Cape; Vuwani in Limpopo; Matsulu in Mpumalanga; and Orlando West in Gauteng. Residents and those closely connected to these areas shared their experiences with democracy over the past 30 years, as well as their hopes for the next 30 years. This edition of the HSRC Review features nine articles about these site visits.
The edition further covers the impact of extreme climate events on local communities; the role of digital innovation in climate action; the modernisation of the mining sector; and insights on gender, informality and innovation in KwaZulu-Natal.
The HSRC Review team
Featured articles from the Review
The HSRC is committed to the dissemination of research-based information. One of the vehicles for this activity is its quarterly magazine, the HSRC Review, which contains accessible articles of recent research outputs, expert opinion and success stories of collaborative projects.
The HSRC Review assists the organisation in adhering to its mandate to serve the public purpose. It informs the making and monitoring of effective policy, helps to evaluate its implementation, and sparks public debate by disseminating research results.
The magazine is produced as an electronic version and distributed to about 2 000 subscribers. Readers include parliamentarians; directors and heads of government departments; funders and donors; development organisations; NGOs; the diplomatic community; national and international research institutions; and universities and schools.