South Africa's higher education and research ecosystem continues to evolve through targeted efforts to strengthen scholarly publishing. Institutions, regulatory bodies, and academies are investing in new publications alongside structured capacity building to elevate the quality, visibility, and accessibility of local research output.
Strengthening the Foundations of Scholarly Communication
The Academy of Science of South Africa has long played a central role through its Scholarly Publishing Programme. This initiative focuses on building national capacity for research production and dissemination while improving the global competitiveness of South African journals. Key platforms supported include SciELO SA and Khulisa Journals, which host diamond open access titles that charge neither authors nor readers.
Recent updates to the programme include refreshed guidelines and training resources aimed at editors and peer reviewers. These efforts align with broader national priorities around ethical publishing and open science practices.
The 2026 South African Open Science Policy
In 2026 the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation introduced the South African Open Science Policy. The framework promotes coordinated open science practices across research institutions, emphasising infrastructure, training, and incentives for sharing knowledge freely. It builds on earlier repository developments and journal platforms to make research outputs more accessible both locally and internationally.
Stakeholders note that the policy addresses persistent challenges such as limited funding for open access and the need for greater multilingual representation in scholarly communication.
Advancing Diamond Open Access Models
Diamond open access has gained significant momentum in South Africa. National platforms and university-hosted journals operate without article processing charges, supporting equitable participation for researchers at resource-constrained institutions. The second Global Summit on Diamond Open Access held in Cape Town highlighted social justice dimensions and the importance of sustaining no-fee models.
Collaborations with regional networks such as African Journals Online continue to strengthen editorial processes and peer review capacity for participating titles.
Targeted Capacity Building for Editors and Researchers
Workshops and training programmes form a core component of current initiatives. The Academy of Science of South Africa runs annual sessions on writing for scholarly journals, editorial management, and research integrity. These programmes target early-career academics and journal editors to improve submission quality and review standards.
Additional efforts focus on data handling under the Protection of Personal Information Act, with a voluntary compliance framework released to guide ethical research practices across institutions.
The Publication Quality Framework Project
A three-year project led by the Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology and Cape Peninsula University of Technology, in partnership with the Department of Higher Education and Training, the National Research Foundation, and the Academy of Science of South Africa, is assessing and enhancing journal quality. The initiative examines accreditation processes, subsidy systems, and strategies to reduce questionable publishing practices.
Progress reports indicate ongoing data collection on research output trends and recommendations for strengthening the national journal ecosystem.
Ethical Standards and Collaborative Statements
Joint statements on ethical research and scholarly publishing practices, signed by the Department of Higher Education and Training, the National Research Foundation, the Council on Higher Education, Universities South Africa, and the Academy of Science of South Africa, continue to guide the sector. These documents emphasise integrity in peer review, authorship, and data reporting.
Implementation includes updated codes of best practice for journal publishing, editing, and peer review that journals are encouraged to adopt.
New Journal Launches and Content Developments
Several South African titles have expanded their scope or introduced special issues addressing national priorities such as climate resilience, public health, and digital transformation. Platforms like the South African Journal of Science maintain diamond open access status while increasing international visibility through indexing improvements.
University presses and research institutes are also piloting new series that integrate indigenous knowledge systems with conventional scholarly formats.
Impact on Researchers and Institutions
Capacity building activities have contributed to higher submission rates to accredited journals and improved acceptance rates for early-career researchers. Institutions report stronger alignment between research outputs and national development goals, particularly in areas prioritised under the National Development Plan.
University administrators note that enhanced publishing support services are helping retain talent and attract international collaborations.
Challenges and Ongoing Solutions
Despite progress, challenges remain around sustainable funding for diamond open access platforms, reviewer fatigue, and the need for greater representation of African languages in scholarly communication. Solutions under discussion include shared infrastructure models, mentorship networks for new editors, and targeted grants for journal development.
Regional partnerships are helping address capacity gaps in smaller institutions.
Photo by Makmot Robin on Unsplash
Future Outlook for South African Scholarly Publishing
Looking ahead, integration of artificial intelligence tools for manuscript screening and peer review support is expected to feature more prominently. Continued emphasis on open science principles and quality assurance will likely shape accreditation criteria and funding allocations.
Stakeholders anticipate that sustained investment in capacity building will further elevate the global standing of South African research outputs while supporting transformation goals within the higher education sector.