Pretoria, Wednesday, 13 May 2026 — The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) presented its Annual Performance Plan (APP) for 2026/2027 to the Portfolio Committee on Science, Technology, and Innovation on Tuesday, 5 May 2026. The presentation was led by the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), Prof Blade Nzimande, with the HSRC delegation headed by CEO Prof Sarah Mosoetsa.

Aligned with the National Development Plan’s (NDP) goals, the HSRC’s 2026/27 APP outlines the organisation’s strategic imperative to address South Africa’s most pressing developmental challenges—poverty, inequality, and unemployment—through evidence-based research. This work is anchored in the pillars of a Capable, Ethical and Developmental State, Inclusive Growth and Job Creation, and Innovation and Inclusivity for a Future Society.

The plan further aligns with the HSRC Act, the Constitution of South Africa, the Public Finance Management Act, the Science and Technology Laws Amendment Acts, and international frameworks including Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

According to the HSRC Board Chairperson, Prof Xoliswa Mtose, the organisation will continue to contribute to addressing the significant developmental challenges facing South Africa and the continent.

“Through its unique capacity for knowledge production, the HSRC will support national development priorities by contributing to poverty alleviation, offering solutions to reduce inequality, and facilitating innovation for employment creation,” said Prof. Mtose.

“With its mandate to conduct research for the public good, the HSRC has a responsibility and an obligation to provide critical human insights that complement hard sciences and technology. These insights will assist policymakers in understanding and addressing the most pressing societal challenges in South Africa and beyond,” she said.

Key flagship projects in the plan include the South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS), the South African National HIV Prevalence, Incidence, Behaviour and Communication Survey (SABSSM), Longitudinal Survey on Inequalities, South African Science and Innovation Indicators, National Skills Audit (Government), Africa Young Graduates Capacity Development, National Capacity Development and Internship Programme, and HSRC Publishing (HSRC Press, AISA Publishing, Best Red). These initiatives are aimed at generating knowledge to enable social transformation and inform policy.

Strong governance and accountability

According to Prof Mosoetsa, the HSRC continues to fulfil its fiduciary responsibilities, receiving clean, unqualified audit opinions from the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA). The Council’s work responds to key government clusters including Social Protection, Economic Sectors and Employment, Governance and State Capacity, International Cooperation, and Justice and Crime Prevention.

“The HSRC’s distinctiveness lies in its mandate to focus on human behaviour and its implications for social development. We lead the country in developing cutting-edge social science and humanities research and methodologies to inform policy and improve lives,” said Prof Mosoetsa.

For 2026/27, the HSRC has set the following output targets under its performance framework, LeaPPT+S, including:

• 25 research projects with government, science councils, and universities on strategic priorities.
• 95 peer-reviewed journal articles and 22 journal editions/scholarly books.
• 30 policy briefs and evidence reviews to inform government policy.
• 300 interns to be recruited and placed annually to grow skilled human resources for the public and private sectors, science councils, and the National System of Innovation (NSI).

The plan strengthens alignment between strategic priorities, planned activities, and measurable outcomes, with indicators focused on policy influence, developmental impact, and evidence-based decision-making in support of the Medium-Term Development Plan and District Development Model.

End.

For media enquiries:

Join the conversation:

#AnnualPerformancePlan #JobCreation #Inequality #PovertyAlleviation

Notes to the editor

About the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC)

The HSRC was established in 1968 as South Africa’s statutory research agency and has grown to become the largest dedicated research institute in the social sciences and humanities on the African continent, doing cutting-edge public research in areas that are crucial to development.

Our mandate is to inform the effective formulation and monitoring of government policy; to evaluate policy implementation; to stimulate public debate through the effective dissemination of research-based data and fact-based research results; to foster research collaboration; and to help build research capacity and infrastructure for the human sciences.

The Council conducts large-scale, policy-relevant, social-scientific research for public sector users, non-governmental organisations and international development agencies. Its research activities and structures are closely aligned with South Africa’s national development priorities.