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Science in South Africa

South Africa ranks #29 of 189 countries on research quality in 2022-now (#31 all time), with 113k research works and 10.6% of them in the world's top 10%.

World rank, 2022-now
#29
of 189 · #31 all time
Works, 2022-now
113k
▲ 17% vs 2018-21
Citations
8.6M
16.2 per fractional work, all time
Top-10% rate
10.6%
all institutions 10.0%
vs its own fields
1.06×
1.00× is exactly expected
In the world top 100
0
4 in the top 1,000
Open access
49%
world 40%
International
22%
world 18%
South Africa

What is South Africa strongest at in science?

On research quality in 2022-now, South Africa ranks highest in Social Sciences (#22 of 148), Medicine (#23 of 152) and Infectious Diseases (#11 of 70). Relative to its size it is most specialised in Archeology, Religious studies and Research and Theory.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorksAll time
Social SciencesField #22 of 148 11.7%24,206 #22 Institutions
MedicineField #23 of 152 10.2%14,891 #23 Institutions
Infectious DiseasesSubfield #11 of 70 12.6%1,774 #10 Institutions
EducationSubfield #18 of 112 13.2%5,952 #21 Institutions
Sociology and Political ScienceSubfield #23 of 119 10.8%7,114 #22 Institutions
Arts and HumanitiesField #20 of 103 15.9%4,267 #18 Institutions
Economics, Econometrics and FinanceField #22 of 107 12.1%4,303 #26 Institutions
Economics and EconometricsSubfield #22 of 98 12.5%3,069 #26 Institutions
Agricultural and Biological SciencesField #28 of 124 12.1%6,949 #29 Institutions
PsychologyField #24 of 106 9.1%4,589 #28 Institutions
Environmental ScienceField #29 of 122 9.2%7,857 #28 Institutions
Information SystemsSubfield #22 of 90 13.5%1,964 - Institutions

Where its research is concentrated

Location quotient: how much more (or less) of each node it does than its size predicts. Drawn around 1×, where "twice the world share" and "half of it" are the same distance apart in opposite directions. A volume reading, which on a country axis is largely population and industrial structure.

  1. ArcheologySubfield · 218.8 works · #6 of 158 active here11×
  2. Religious studiesSubfield · 1,153.2 works · #9 of 195 active here5.4×
  3. Research and TheorySubfield · 143.0 works · #12 of 183 active here4.3×
  4. Public AdministrationSubfield · 286.7 works · #11 of 186 active here4.2×
  5. Business and International ManagementSubfield · 491.1 works · #6 of 192 active here3.6×
  6. Safety ResearchSubfield · 1,192.2 works · #15 of 215 active here3.4×
  7. VirologySubfield · 248.1 works · #13 of 204 active here3.3×
  8. AnthropologySubfield · 1,124.4 works · #15 of 213 active here3.1×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

The whole field profile

All 26 fields at once. A specialist and a generalist produce the same ranked list and a completely different shape.

Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 1.31× its world share, 8,023 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.61× its world share, 4,189 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 0.88× its world share, 1,132 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 0.38× its world share, 800 worksNeurosciencePharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics: 0.76× its world share, 344 worksPharmacology, Toxico…Chemical Engineering: 0.77× its world share, 346 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 0.77× its world share, 1,545 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.63× its world share, 6,327 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 0.87× its world share, 1,758 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 1.13× its world share, 1,335 worksEnergyEngineering: 0.65× its world share, 13k worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 1.43× its world share, 9,104 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 0.70× its world share, 3,118 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 0.93× its world share, 1,410 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 0.66× its world share, 1,883 worksPhysics and AstronomyDentistry: 0.44× its world share, 272 worksDentistryHealth Professions: 1.44× its world share, 4,870 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.69× its world share, 17k worksMedicineNursing: 1.44× its world share, 904 worksNursingVeterinary: 1.13× its world share, 197 worksVeterinaryArts and Humanities: 1.29× its world share, 4,790 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 1.70× its world share, 7,056 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 1.63× its world share, 2,028 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 1.72× its world share, 4,726 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 1.34× its world share, 5,232 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 1.69× its world share, 27k worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Economics, Econometrics and Finance, 1.7×. Every wedge is a field page.

All 26 fields, with their numbers
  1. Economics, Econometrics and Finance1.72×4,726 works
  2. Business, Management and Accounting1.70×7,056 works
  3. Social Sciences1.69×27k works
  4. Decision Sciences1.63×2,028 works
  5. Health Professions1.44×4,870 works
  6. Nursing1.44×904 works
  7. Environmental Science1.43×9,104 works
  8. Psychology1.34×5,232 works
  9. Agricultural and Biological Sciences1.31×8,023 works
  10. Arts and Humanities1.29×4,790 works
  11. Energy1.13×1,335 works
  12. Veterinary1.13×197 works
  13. Mathematics0.93×1,410 works
  14. Immunology and Microbiology0.88×1,132 works
  15. Earth and Planetary Sciences0.87×1,758 works
  16. Chemical Engineering0.77×346 works
  17. Chemistry0.77×1,545 works
  18. Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics0.76×344 works
  19. Materials Science0.70×3,118 works
  20. Medicine0.69×17k works
  21. Physics and Astronomy0.66×1,883 works
  22. Engineering0.65×13k works
  23. Computer Science0.63×6,327 works
  24. Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology0.61×4,189 works
  25. Dentistry0.44×272 works
  26. Neuroscience0.38×800 works

Which fields of science does South Africa work in?

In 2022-now, 40% of research in South Africa is in Social Sciences, 31% in Physical Sciences. Its largest fields are Social Sciences (21%), Medicine (13%), Engineering (10%). It does 1.6× the world's share of Social Sciences.

Social Sciences: 51k fractional works · 39.9% of its workSocial Sciences: 27k fractional works · 21.4% of its workSociology and Political Science: 8,130 fractional works · 6.3% of its workEducation: 6,809 fractional works · 5.3% of its workPolitical Science and International Relations: 2,462 fractional works · 1.9% of its workLaw: 1,650 fractional works · 1.3% of its workSafety Research: 1,192 fractional works · 0.9% of its workAnthropology: 1,124 fractional works · 0.9% of its workGender Studies: 1,048 fractional works · 0.8% of its workUrban Studies: 714 fractional works · 0.6% of its workCommunication: 641 fractional works · 0.5% of its workHealth: 631 fractional works · 0.5% of its workDemography: 583 fractional works · 0.5% of its workLinguistics and Language: 432 fractional works · 0.3% of its workDevelopment: 394 fractional works · 0.3% of its workTransportation: 326 fractional works · 0.3% of its workPublic Administration: 287 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 1,051 fractional works · 0.8% of its workBusiness, Management and Accounting: 7,057 fractional works · 5.5% of its workStrategy and Management: 1,680 fractional works · 1.3% of its workOrganizational Behavior and Human Resource Management: 1,171 fractional works · 0.9% of its workAccounting: 1,069 fractional works · 0.8% of its workManagement Information Systems: 983 fractional works · 0.8% of its workManagement of Technology and Innovation: 934 fractional works · 0.7% of its workMarketing: 661 fractional works · 0.5% of its workBusiness and International Management: 491 fractional works · 0.4% of its workSmaller subfields together: 67 fractional works · 0.1% of its workPsychology: 5,232 fractional works · 4.1% of its workClinical Psychology: 1,952 fractional works · 1.5% of its workSocial Psychology: 1,662 fractional works · 1.3% of its workDevelopmental and Educational Psychology: 855 fractional works · 0.7% of its workExperimental and Cognitive Psychology: 455 fractional works · 0.4% of its workApplied Psychology: 267 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 41 fractional works · 0.0% of its workArts and Humanities: 4,790 fractional works · 3.7% of its workReligious studies: 1,153 fractional works · 0.9% of its workLiterature and Literary Theory: 947 fractional works · 0.7% of its workLanguage and Linguistics: 600 fractional works · 0.5% of its workPhilosophy: 552 fractional works · 0.4% of its workHistory: 339 fractional works · 0.3% of its workArcheology: 307 fractional works · 0.2% of its workMusic: 261 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 632 fractional works · 0.5% of its workEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 4,726 fractional works · 3.7% of its workEconomics and Econometrics: 3,342 fractional works · 2.6% of its workFinance: 860 fractional works · 0.7% of its workGeneral Economics, Econometrics and Finance: 524 fractional works · 0.4% of its workDecision Sciences: 2,028 fractional works · 1.6% of its workManagement Science and Operations Research: 1,167 fractional works · 0.9% of its workInformation Systems and Management: 638 fractional works · 0.5% of its workSmaller subfields together: 223 fractional works · 0.2% of its workPhysical Sciences: 39k fractional works · 30.6% of its workEngineering: 13k fractional works · 9.7% of its workElectrical and Electronic Engineering: 2,694 fractional works · 2.1% of its workMechanical Engineering: 1,874 fractional works · 1.5% of its workBiomedical Engineering: 1,788 fractional works · 1.4% of its workBuilding and Construction: 1,072 fractional works · 0.8% of its workControl and Systems Engineering: 809 fractional works · 0.6% of its workCivil and Structural Engineering: 714 fractional works · 0.6% of its workIndustrial and Manufacturing Engineering: 596 fractional works · 0.5% of its workAerospace Engineering: 588 fractional works · 0.5% of its workMedia Technology: 585 fractional works · 0.5% of its workAutomotive Engineering: 472 fractional works · 0.4% of its workMechanics of Materials: 393 fractional works · 0.3% of its workOcean Engineering: 372 fractional works · 0.3% of its workComputational Mechanics: 280 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 271 fractional works · 0.2% of its workEnvironmental Science: 9,104 fractional works · 7.1% of its workEcology: 1,721 fractional works · 1.3% of its workGlobal and Planetary Change: 1,528 fractional works · 1.2% of its workWater Science and Technology: 972 fractional works · 0.8% of its workPollution: 942 fractional works · 0.7% of its workManagement, Monitoring, Policy and Law: 869 fractional works · 0.7% of its workHealth, Toxicology and Mutagenesis: 689 fractional works · 0.5% of its workIndustrial and Manufacturing Engineering: 635 fractional works · 0.5% of its workNature and Landscape Conservation: 618 fractional works · 0.5% of its workEnvironmental Engineering: 592 fractional works · 0.5% of its workEnvironmental Chemistry: 326 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 211 fractional works · 0.2% of its workComputer Science: 6,327 fractional works · 4.9% of its workInformation Systems: 2,256 fractional works · 1.8% of its workArtificial Intelligence: 1,724 fractional works · 1.3% of its workComputer Networks and Communications: 580 fractional works · 0.5% of its workComputer Science Applications: 525 fractional works · 0.4% of its workComputational Theory and Mathematics: 423 fractional works · 0.3% of its workComputer Vision and Pattern Recognition: 403 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 415 fractional works · 0.3% of its workMaterials Science: 3,119 fractional works · 2.4% of its workMaterials Chemistry: 1,739 fractional works · 1.4% of its workBiomaterials: 509 fractional works · 0.4% of its workPolymers and Plastics: 416 fractional works · 0.3% of its workElectronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials: 315 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 139 fractional works · 0.1% of its workPhysics and Astronomy: 1,883 fractional works · 1.5% of its workAstronomy and Astrophysics: 773 fractional works · 0.6% of its workStatistical and Nonlinear Physics: 316 fractional works · 0.2% of its workAtomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics: 315 fractional works · 0.2% of its workNuclear and High Energy Physics: 284 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 194 fractional works · 0.2% of its workEarth and Planetary Sciences: 1,758 fractional works · 1.4% of its workOceanography: 354 fractional works · 0.3% of its workAtmospheric Science: 329 fractional works · 0.3% of its workGeophysics: 327 fractional works · 0.3% of its workPaleontology: 327 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 422 fractional works · 0.3% of its workChemistry: 1,545 fractional works · 1.2% of its workOrganic Chemistry: 766 fractional works · 0.6% of its workSmaller subfields together: 779 fractional works · 0.6% of its workMathematics: 1,410 fractional works · 1.1% of its workStatistics and Probability: 333 fractional works · 0.3% of its workModeling and Simulation: 306 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 771 fractional works · 0.6% of its workEnergy: 1,335 fractional works · 1.0% of its workRenewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment: 1,053 fractional works · 0.8% of its workSmaller subfields together: 281 fractional works · 0.2% of its workChemical Engineering: 346 fractional works · 0.3% of its workHealth Sciences: 23k fractional works · 18.2% of its workMedicine: 17k fractional works · 13.3% of its workPublic Health, Environmental and Occupational Health: 2,238 fractional works · 1.7% of its workInfectious Diseases: 2,010 fractional works · 1.6% of its workEpidemiology: 1,678 fractional works · 1.3% of its workSurgery: 1,295 fractional works · 1.0% of its workPediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health: 1,160 fractional works · 0.9% of its workPulmonary and Respiratory Medicine: 774 fractional works · 0.6% of its workOncology: 726 fractional works · 0.6% of its workPhysiology: 618 fractional works · 0.5% of its workRadiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging: 591 fractional works · 0.5% of its workCardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine: 538 fractional works · 0.4% of its workEndocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism: 527 fractional works · 0.4% of its workEmergency Medicine: 498 fractional works · 0.4% of its workPsychiatry and Mental health: 418 fractional works · 0.3% of its workPharmacology: 413 fractional works · 0.3% of its workObstetrics and Gynecology: 358 fractional works · 0.3% of its workPathology and Forensic Medicine: 281 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 3,034 fractional works · 2.4% of its workHealth Professions: 4,870 fractional works · 3.8% of its workGeneral Health Professions: 3,152 fractional works · 2.5% of its workRadiological and Ultrasound Technology: 309 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSpeech and Hearing: 303 fractional works · 0.2% of its workEmergency Medical Services: 303 fractional works · 0.2% of its workSmaller subfields together: 802 fractional works · 0.6% of its workNursing: 904 fractional works · 0.7% of its workNutrition and Dietetics: 718 fractional works · 0.6% of its workSmaller subfields together: 186 fractional works · 0.1% of its workDentistry: 272 fractional works · 0.2% of its workVeterinary: 197 fractional works · 0.2% of its workLife Sciences: 14k fractional works · 11.3% of its workAgricultural and Biological Sciences: 8,023 fractional works · 6.2% of its workPlant Science: 2,942 fractional works · 2.3% of its workEcology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics: 1,190 fractional works · 0.9% of its workFood Science: 910 fractional works · 0.7% of its workGeneral Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 618 fractional works · 0.5% of its workSoil Science: 577 fractional works · 0.4% of its workInsect Science: 516 fractional works · 0.4% of its workAgronomy and Crop Science: 424 fractional works · 0.3% of its workAnimal Science and Zoology: 397 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 449 fractional works · 0.3% of its workBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 4,189 fractional works · 3.3% of its workMolecular Biology: 2,015 fractional works · 1.6% of its workGenetics: 989 fractional works · 0.8% of its workSmaller subfields together: 1,185 fractional works · 0.9% of its workImmunology and Microbiology: 1,132 fractional works · 0.9% of its workImmunology: 375 fractional works · 0.3% of its workSmaller subfields together: 758 fractional works · 0.6% of its workNeuroscience: 800 fractional works · 0.6% of its workCognitive Neuroscience: 455 fractional works · 0.4% of its workSmaller subfields together: 346 fractional works · 0.3% of its workPharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics: 344 fractional works · 0.3% of its workALL ITS WORKSouth Africa129kfractional works, 2022-now
Life Sciences11%Physical Sciences31%Health Sciences18%Social Sciences40%

Each ring splits the one inside it: the four domains of science, their fields, their subfields. Size is fractional works in 2022-now. Every slice is a page; the interactive view zooms down to single topics and colours each by how much more of it this country does than the world.

Its 4 domains and 26 fields, with their numbers
    1. Social Sciences27k21.4%
    2. Business, Management and Accounting7,0575.5%
    3. Psychology5,2324.1%
    4. Arts and Humanities4,7903.7%
    5. Economics, Econometrics and Finance4,7263.7%
    6. Decision Sciences2,0281.6%
    1. Engineering13k9.7%
    2. Environmental Science9,1047.1%
    3. Computer Science6,3274.9%
    4. Materials Science3,1192.4%
    5. Physics and Astronomy1,8831.5%
    6. Earth and Planetary Sciences1,7581.4%
    7. Chemistry1,5451.2%
    8. Mathematics1,4101.1%
    9. Energy1,3351.0%
    10. Chemical Engineering3460.3%
    1. Medicine17k13.3%
    2. Health Professions4,8703.8%
    3. Nursing9040.7%
    4. Dentistry2720.2%
    5. Veterinary1970.2%
    1. Agricultural and Biological Sciences8,0236.2%
    2. Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4,1893.3%
    3. Immunology and Microbiology1,1320.9%
    4. Neuroscience8000.6%
    5. Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics3440.3%
All of science, and how each field's share has moved since 1950: the Science domain explorer

Which keywords describe research in South Africa?

By fractional works in 2022-now, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Globalization, Sustainability, Climate Change, Colonialism, Higher Education, Human Rights, South Africa and Epidemiology.

▲ more of its work than of the world's◆ about the world's share▼ less than the world's

Size is fractional works in 2022-now in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this country's work against its share of the world's. The 40 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 40 words, with their numbers
  1. Climate Change4,986▲ 1.43×130 topics
  2. Sustainability4,915▲ 1.56×137 topics
  3. Epidemiology4,800◆ 0.94×140 topics
  4. Globalization4,533▲ 1.79×177 topics
  5. Machine Learning3,278▼ 0.77×97 topics
  6. Human Rights3,247▲ 2.5×88 topics
  7. Mental Health3,037▲ 1.65×48 topics
  8. Environmental Impact2,887▲ 1.32×72 topics
  9. Higher Education2,704▲ 4.0×34 topics
  10. Renewable Energy2,666▲ 1.43×61 topics
  11. Colonialism2,633▲ 4.3×49 topics
  12. Education2,535◆ 1.15×152 topics
  13. Sustainable Development2,520▲ 1.25×110 topics
  14. Economic Growth2,417▲ 2.3×37 topics
  15. Social Justice2,223▲ 2.9×53 topics
  16. Social Capital1,916▲ 2.9×21 topics
  17. South Africa1,591▲ 45×4 topics
  18. Nationalism1,540▲ 2.7×32 topics
  19. Development1,506▲ 3.3×23 topics
  20. Inequality1,451▲ 5.0×18 topics
  21. Antiretroviral Therapy1,327▲ 6.3×6 topics
  22. Environmental Governance1,301▲ 15×6 topics
  23. Equality1,234▲ 16×8 topics
  24. Poverty Reduction1,202▲ 7.2×7 topics
  25. Public Participation1,188▲ 42×3 topics
  26. Race1,174▲ 7.6×19 topics
  27. Judicial Review1,166▲ 11×5 topics
  28. Gender-based Violence1,164▲ 16×3 topics
  29. Postcolonialism1,160▲ 6.3×18 topics
  30. Constitutionalism1,141▲ 10×5 topics
  31. Consumer Protection1,141▲ 21×4 topics
  32. Legal Research1,128▲ 7.3×3 topics
  33. Developmental Local Government1,116▲ 84×1 topic
  34. Socio-Economic Rights1,116▲ 84×1 topic
  35. Decolonization974▲ 9.3×8 topics
  36. Poverty Alleviation928▲ 7.6×3 topics
  37. economic empowerment910▲ 44×2 topics
  38. post-apartheid910▲ 91×1 topic
  39. protests910▲ 91×1 topic
  40. NGOs883▲ 7.4×5 topics

Which research topics does South Africa publish the most in?

Its largest topics in 2022-now are Legal Issues in South Africa, South African History and Culture, African cultural and philosophical studies.

Legal Issues in South Af…1,116Legal Issues in South Africa: 1,116 fractional worksSouth African History an…910South African History and Culture: 910 fractional worksAfrican cultural and philosophical studies: 793 fractional worksHIV/AIDS Research and Interventions: 618 fractional worksAfrican studies and soci…603African studies and sociopolitical issues: 603 fractional worksEntrepreneurship Studies and Influences: 530 fractional worksGlobal Maternal and Child Health: 513 fractional worksAdolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health: 502 fractional worksPoverty, Education, and Child Welfare: 489 fractional worksInnovation and Socioeconomic Development: 479 fractional worksAfrican history and culture studies: 465 fractional worksUrban and Rural Development Challenges: 446 fractional works
LawSociology and Political ScienceEducationInfectious Diseases7 others

Area is fractional works in 2022-now; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to. Every tile is a topic page.

  1. 1 Legal Issues in South Africa Law 1.1k works
  2. 2 South African History and Culture Sociology and Political Science 910 works
  3. 3 African cultural and philosophical studies Education 793 works
  4. 4 HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions Infectious Diseases 618 works
  5. 5 African studies and sociopolitical issues Sociology and Political Science 603 works
  6. 6 Entrepreneurship Studies and Influences Management of Technology and Innovation 530 works
  7. 7 Global Maternal and Child Health Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health 513 works
  8. 8 Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health General Health Professions 502 works
  9. 9 Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare Safety Research 489 works
  10. 10 Innovation and Socioeconomic Development Business and International Management 479 works
  11. 11 African history and culture studies Anthropology 465 works
  12. 12 Urban and Rural Development Challenges Urban Studies 446 works

How many world-class institutions does South Africa hold?

Average quality and elite capacity disagree by construction, and both are worth knowing: the first is decided by a country's whole institution population, the second counts the institutions it holds at the top. One square per institution.

Standing among countries2022-nowWhere that sitsAll time
Average qualityits whole institution population #29 of 189 #31 of 203
Elite capacitythe institutions it holds at the top #31 of 204 #30 of 216

Elite capacity counts a country's institutions by their worldwide rank, weighted so a place at #1 counts for more than one at #480. Countries under 100 fractional works are left out.

101st to 500th2501st to 1,000th2

Bands are exclusive, so the squares add up to 4 (the institutions it holds in the world top 1,000), not to four times it.

Which universities in South Africa lead research?

University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University and University of the Witwatersrand rank highest in South Africa on research quality in 2022-now.

0%10%20%mean 11.0733%fractional works (log) →share in the world top 10% →University of Johann…University of Cape T…University of the Wi…Stellenbosch Univers…
above the meannear itbelow it

One dot per institution in the list below. The upper left is the interesting corner.

  1. 1University of Cape TownUniversity · Rondebosch · #387 worldwide10.9% top 10% · 7.2k works
  2. 2Stellenbosch UniversityUniversity · Stellenbosch · #491 worldwide9.8% top 10% · 7.9k works
  3. 3University of the WitwatersrandUniversity · Johannesburg · #573 worldwide10.5% top 10% · 8.9k works
  4. 4University of JohannesburgUniversity · Johannesburg · #653 worldwide12.9% top 10% · 13k works
  5. 5University of PretoriaUniversity · Pretoria · #1,252 worldwide9.6% top 10% · 9k works
  6. 6University of South AfricaUniversity · Pretoria · #1,269 worldwide10.9% top 10% · 9k works
  7. 7University of KwaZulu-NatalUniversity · Durban · #1,288 worldwide10.4% top 10% · 7.6k works
  8. 8South African Medical Research CouncilInstitution · Cape Town · #1,441 worldwide14.9% top 10% · 1k works
  9. 9North-West UniversityUniversity · Potchefstroom · #1,510 worldwide12.0% top 10% · 5.8k works
  10. 10Walter Sisulu UniversityUniversity · Mthatha · #1,833 worldwide9.9% top 10% · 2.1k works
  11. 11University of the Western CapeUniversity · Cape Town · #1,839 worldwide10.5% top 10% · 3.1k works
  12. 12Sustainability InstituteNonprofit · Stellenbosch · #2,143 worldwide9.5% top 10% · 736 works
  13. 13Tshwane University of TechnologyUniversity · Pretoria · #2,193 worldwide9.5% top 10% · 2.7k works
  14. 14University of Fort HareUniversity · Alice · #2,291 worldwide14.2% top 10% · 1.4k works
  15. 15Durban University of TechnologyUniversity · Durban · #2,637 worldwide10.6% top 10% · 3k works

The track on each row is its top-10% rate; the tick is the average of all institutions, 10.0% (how it is set): teal above it, red below.

All ranked institutions in South Africa

Who are the top researchers in South Africa?

Surajit Bag, Christopher H. Trisos and Osaretin Christabel Okonji rank highest among researchers based in South Africa.

  1. 1 Surajit Bag #6,981 worldwide 13k citations · 234 works
  2. 2 Christopher H. Trisos #8,500 worldwide 15k citations · 130 works
  3. 3 Osaretin Christabel Okonji #8,695 worldwide 39k citations · 121 works
  4. 4 Crick Lund #10,675 worldwide 34k citations · 524 works
  5. 5 Benn K. D. Sartorius #10,888 worldwide 208k citations · 402 works
  6. 6 Jinal N. Bhiman #14,146 worldwide 21k citations · 143 works
  7. 7 Chukwudi A Nnaji #14,377 worldwide 60k citations · 94 works
  8. 8 J. Cleymans #14,825 worldwide 43k citations · 718 works
  9. 9 Rachel K. Jewkes #15,263 worldwide 39k citations · 448 works
  10. 10 Houriiyah Tegally #17,605 worldwide 17k citations · 167 works
Top researchers in South Africa

Which cities in South Africa are research hubs?

  1. 1 PretoriaSouth Africa 118k works
  2. 2 JohannesburgSouth Africa 104k works
  3. 3 DurbanSouth Africa 57k works
  4. 4 RondeboschSouth Africa 50k works
  5. 5 StellenboschSouth Africa 46k works
  6. 6 Cape TownSouth Africa 43k works
  7. 7 BloemfonteinSouth Africa 25k works
  8. 8 PotchefstroomSouth Africa 25k works

How much of it is in the largest

The same cities as shares of everything these twelve account for.

Pretoria: 25.3%Johannesburg: 22.2%Durban: 12.1%Rondebosch: 10.7%4 others listed: 29.7%25%largest
Pretoria118k · 25.3%Johannesburg104k · 22.2%Durban57k · 12.1%Rondebosch50k · 10.7%4 others listed139k · 29.7%

Shares of the rows listed above, not of the whole node.

How open and international is South Africa's research?

49% of its research is openly available (world: 40%), and 22% is written with international co-authors (world: 18%).

openly available48.7%not open51.3%

World: 40% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors21.9%domestic only78.1%

World: 18% is written across borders.

In 2022-now, 71% of its research is openly available (world 63%) and 28% is written with co-authors abroad (world 22%). Against what its own mix of topics predicts, that is 1.10× the expected open access and 1.24× the expected international share, which puts it #102 of 173 countries on openness.

How has South Africa's research grown?

Output in 2022-2025 was 17% higher than in 2018-2021.

still counting1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon: one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Its share of all research

Growing output can still be a shrinking share: all of science grows. This is South Africa as a percentage of every work published that year, 0.52% in 2024.

still counting0.20%0.40%0.60%South Africa0.53% in 202519801990200020102020

Fractional works of South Africa over all fractional works that year. How the balance of science has shifted.

How much of it reaches the world top 10%

Over the whole record, 9.2% of its 531k works since 1950 reached the world top 10% for their field and year.

still counting5%10%15%South Africa10.9% in 2025all institutions10.0% in 2025200020102020

Of each year's output, the share that reached the world's 10% most cited for its field and year. Peak 11.0% in 2024.

Which countries have research most like South Africa's?

Zimbabwe is South Africa's closest research twin: of all countries, its research is spread across the fields most like South Africa's, with both strong in Economics, Econometrics and Finance.

  1. 1 ZimbabweBoth strong in Economics, Econometrics and Finance, Business, Management and Accounting, Social Sciences 0.90 Compare
  2. 2 NamibiaBoth strong in Business, Management and Accounting, Social Sciences, Economics, Econometrics and Finance 0.88 Compare
  3. 3 KenyaBoth strong in Economics, Econometrics and Finance, Business, Management and Accounting, Decision Sciences 0.85 Compare
  4. 4 GhanaBoth strong in Economics, Econometrics and Finance, Business, Management and Accounting, Decision Sciences 0.83 Compare
  5. 5 Timor-LesteBoth strong in Business, Management and Accounting, Social Sciences, Health Professions 0.81 Compare

Similarity is the correlation of each side's location quotients across every field it publishes in, on a log scale: 1 is the same shape of research, 0 is unrelated. It ignores size. How it is measured.

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South Africa on Science Explorer

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Its overall standing, then the domains, fields and subfields where South Africa is in the world's top ten or its top 1%. Each has an image of its own.

Overall

Subfields

Research fields in South Africa

Questions people ask

What is South Africa strongest at in science?

On research quality in 2022-now, South Africa ranks highest in Social Sciences (#22 of 148), Medicine (#23 of 152) and Infectious Diseases (#11 of 70). Relative to its size it is most specialised in Archeology, Religious studies and Research and Theory.

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Who are the top scientists in South Africa?

Surajit Bag, Christopher H. Trisos and Osaretin Christabel Okonji rank highest among researchers based in South Africa.

Who are the top researchers in South Africa?
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