South Africa Establishes Turning Point with Mandatory Open Access for Publicly Funded Research

The Dawn of a New Era in South African Research Dissemination

South Africa's research landscape is undergoing a transformative shift with the introduction of the National Open Science Policy in 2026. Approved by cabinet in December 2025 and published by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) in March 2026, this policy marks a pivotal moment by mandating open access for all outputs from publicly funded research. This move aligns South Africa with global leaders in open science, promising to democratize knowledge and boost the visibility of work from its universities and research institutions.

Previously guided by the National Research Foundation's (NRF) 2015 open access statement, which allowed a 12-month embargo, the new policy adopts the principle of 'as open as possible, as closed as necessary.' This ensures immediate or near-immediate public availability of publications, data, code, and methodologies, unless restricted by ethical, legal, or commercial considerations. For South African higher education institutions, this represents both an opportunity to amplify impact and a call to strengthen digital infrastructures.

Historical Context and Policy Evolution

The journey toward this policy began in 2019 with the formation of an Open Science Advisory Committee under DSTI. Public consultations in 2022 gathered input from universities, researchers, and civil society, culminating in cabinet approval. It builds on UNESCO's 2021 Recommendations on Open Science and responds to the African Union's call for continent-wide open practices.

South African universities have long championed open access through institutional repositories like UCT's OpenUCT, Stellenbosch University's SUNScholar, and Wits' WIRE. Compliance with NRF funding has driven steady growth, reducing closed-access outputs from 75% in 2000 to 32% in 2024. The 2026 policy elevates this to a national imperative, integrating open data management plans (DMPs) into grant applications across DSTI, NRF, and other funders.

Core Mandates for Universities and Researchers

At its heart, the policy requires all publicly funded research outputs—peer-reviewed articles, datasets, software, protocols, and educational resources—to be deposited in compliant repositories. Universities must ensure interoperability via FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) for data and extend CARE (Collective benefit, Authority to control, Responsibility, Ethics) for indigenous knowledge.

• Immediate open access for publications, with embargoes only for justified cases (e.g., IP protection).
• Mandatory DMPs for projects, budgeting for curation and stewardship.
• Open source software and methods encouraged.
• An Open Access Code of Conduct for institutions, societies, and publishers.

Higher education institutions like the University of Cape Town (UCT), University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), and University of Pretoria are poised to lead, leveraging existing repositories to meet these standards.

Benefits for South African Higher Education

Open access promises heightened research visibility and impact. Studies show OA articles garner 50% more citations and 70% greater exposure, crucial for South African scholars often sidelined in global metrics. For universities, this translates to improved rankings, attracting talent and funding. It fosters equity, enabling researchers in under-resourced colleges to access cutting-edge knowledge without paywalls.

Moreover, integrating open science into curricula prepares students for collaborative, reproducible research. Institutions like Stellenbosch University already reward OA through visibility awards, signaling a cultural shift toward societal impact over prestige metrics.

The policy also spurs infrastructure growth, with federated repositories and a national data stewardship agency enhancing data sharing across the 26 public universities.

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Stakeholder Roles and Governance Framework

DSTI leads implementation via the Open Science Advisory Board (OSAB), approving standards and strategies. NRF enforces compliance in grants, while Universities South Africa (USAf) coordinates university responses. An Open Science Forum facilitates multi-stakeholder dialogue, and the South African Open Science Observatory tracks metrics like OA uptake.

Universities must train staff, revise reward systems to value open practices, and develop DMPs. For example, the NRF's pilot impact assessments prioritize societal relevance, reducing 'publish or perish' pressures.

Addressing Key Challenges: Funding and Infrastructure

Article processing charges (APCs) pose a major hurdle, with medians at R40,000–50,000 amid weak rand. The policy calls for a national APC fund, redirecting resources from subscriptions to diamond OA (no-fee models). SANLiC's transformative agreements already saved R300 million in 2024.

Infrastructure gaps, like broadband access, will be bridged by NICIS and SANReN. Predatory journals threaten compliance; tools like Think. Check. Submit. and institutional guides mitigate risks. Read the official policy document for detailed guidelines.

Global Context and Lessons for South Africa

South Africa's policy mirrors Plan S in Europe and cOAlition S, positioning it as an African leader. Australia's recent ARC/NHMRC mandates offer peer models. Locally, it builds on NRF's framework, aiming for 70% OA uptake seen in compliant regions.

Comparisons highlight success factors: reformed assessments (e.g., DORA declaration adopters) and collective bargaining via SANLiC. For more on global trends, see SPARC's analysis here.

Case Studies: Universities Leading the Way

UCT's OpenUCT repository exemplifies compliance, hosting thousands of OA items with FAIR metadata. Wits' WIRE integrates DMP support, boosting citation rates. Smaller institutions like Walter Sisulu University are scaling up via USAf training. These cases demonstrate feasibility, with OA linked to 19% higher altmetrics.

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Implementation Roadmap and Future Outlook

OSAB will set timelines for DMP mandates and infrastructure rollout. Universities should prioritize training, policy integration, and partnerships. Long-term, expect elevated global rankings, innovation acceleration, and equitable knowledge flow. As Dr. Nokuthula Mchunu notes, this is 'a big step forward' for African science.

Challenges persist, but with collective action, South Africa's higher education sector can harness open science for national development. Researchers: start with your institutional repository today.