The Loskop dam–A Forever Resort in the Sekhukhune District, became the hub of intellectual exchange and innovation on a three-day conference from 12-14 February 2025, as the Limpopo Research Forum (LRF) Conference unfolded under the theme, “Innovating for Inclusive Growth: Bridging Science, Technology, and Policy for Sustainable Development.” This joint initiative between the Office of the Premier, Limpopo Province, academic institutions [including the University of Venda (UNIVEN), University of Limpopo (UL), Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), University of South Africa (UNISA)] and the South African Association of Public Administration and Management (SAAPAM), Statistics South Africa (STATS SA) and civil society showcased the province’s commitment to harnessing research for socio-economic transformation.
Group photo of some of the attendees
The conference brought together government leaders, researchers, public administrators, and civil society to discuss innovative strategies addressing poverty, inequality, and infrastructure challenges. With sub-themes ranging from transformative technologies to innovations in healthcare, the conference served as a platform for bridging science and policy. This forum is a step in the right direction towards building a developmental and ethical state in the province and beyond. The three-day conference intended to carry out the objective of improving government research initiatives that will shape the province’s socio-economic status, while attracting the participation of scholars and public administrators. The conference had three plenary sessions and four breakaway sessions. In attendance there was a total of 180 delegates, out of which 70 presented. From the presenters 09 were from UNIVEN.
Dr Thembinkosi Mabila, Limpopo Research Forum (LRF) Chairperson
Dr Thembinkosi Mabila, Limpopo Research Forum (LRF) Chairperson warmly welcomed every-one to the Conference, acknowledging key guests, including policymakers, researchers, aca-demic leaders, and institutional representatives. He commended the collective efforts of the organising committee for curating a vibrant and impactful event. Dr Mabila highlighted the conference theme, “Innovating for Inclusive Growth: Harnessing Science, Technology, and Poli-cy for Sustainable Development,” and its alignment with the province’s developmental goals and encouraged participants to contribute to fostering academic collaboration and knowl-edge-sharing, emphasising the critical role of research in driving sustainable development.
Mr Risenga Maluleke, Statistician-General South Africa
The first day commenced with a keynote address by Statistician-General South Africa, Mr Risenga Maluleke; which entailed a powerful call to action for researchers, policymakers, and youth to address the country’s pressing challenges. He began by sharing a personal story of resilience, highlighting how overcoming early failures shaped his success and encouraging others to persist through adversity.
Mr Maluleke then reflected on the historical journey of Mzilikazi, drawing parallels between overcoming past challenges and leveraging modern opportunities like technology and glob-al connectivity for sustainable development. He urged the audience to embrace a glob-al perspective, think beyond borders, and focus on uplifting marginalised communities.
Discussing South Africa’s 2022 census, Mr Maluleke acknowledged its chal-lenges, such as a high undercount, but affirmed the reliability of the data. He stressed the importance of transparency, rigorous critique, and local re-searchers taking ownership of national discourse to drive meaningful change.
The speech delved into the disparities in South Africa’s education, economic, health and la-bour sectors. Maluleke noted improvements in basic education but highlighted slow prog-ress in higher education and the need to expand learning opportunities. He warned against reliance on private institutions, which could exclude many due to high educational costs.
On the economic front, Mr Maluleke pointed out the disparities between prov-inces, particularly Limpopo and the Eastern Cape, which have high popula-tions but low economic output and household income. He emphasised the need to retain youth talent by improving local education and economic opportunities.
Mr Maluleke acknowledged the role of grants and remittances in sustain-ing households but stressed the importance of building self-sustaining lo-cal economies. He challenged the audience to actively empower entrepre-neurs and foster a society focused on production rather than consumption.
Mr Maluleke urged the research community to go beyond observation, and collective-ly contribute to dismantling inequalities, and drive policy innovation to address South Afri-ca’s deep-rooted challenges. His address underscored the critical role of research and ac-tion in fostering sustainable development, particularly in underdeveloped regions like Limpopo and the Eastern Cape. The keynote address was concluded by a thorough anal-ysis of the presented statistics and discussion of the pertinent issues in the province.
The discussants, Prof Mankolo Lethokho from UL and Prof Marizvikuru Mwale-Man-joro from UNIVEN led the deliberations which helped to pull out key issues to focus on for sustainable development in the province. Included was pub-lic awareness of statistics, transdisciplinary research, upholding ethics in research, partnerships, inclusivity and practical implication in the province and beyond. mative potential of technology and data-driven approaches to development.
Parallel sessions explored topics such as digital governance, smart infra-structure, healthcare innovations, and transformative technologies. High-lights included discussions on the economic impact of digital skills pro-grammes in rural areas, high-speed train feasibility studies, and innovative midwife-led healthcare solutions. These sessions underscored the transfor-mative potential of technology and data-driven approaches to development.
Ms Doris Mathebula, Chief Director for Policy Development Coordination and Research and
Development
The second day of the conference focused on advancing research excellence and translating aca-demic insights into actionable strategies to address regional challenges. The address was delivered by Ms Doris Mathebula, Chief Director for Policy Development Coordination and Research and Devel-opment, representing the Director-General of Limpopo Provincial Government, Mr Nape Nchabeleng.
Ms Mathebula highlighted the critical role of evidence-based policymaking and the collabo-ration between government and academia in fostering development within Limpopo province. She reflected on the forum’s growth, evolving from a small gathering to a vital platform for re-gional engagement, with aspirations to expand its impact globally. Emphasising the importance of evidence-based planning, Ms Mathebula called on researchers to provide policymakers with actionable feedback to enhance decision-making and optimise resource allocation. She also addressed the issue of brain drain in Limpopo, noting that many skilled individuals leave the province despite local universities producing high-quality graduates. She urged researchers to explore solutions for talent retention and help the government develop effective strategies.
Economic growth and self-reliance were also central themes. Ms Mathebula advo-cated for establishing local industries that harness regional resources and exper-tise to drive sustainable development. She stressed the need to reduce reliance on external skills and investments, promoting self-sufficiency within the province.
Prof Kgothatso Shai, South African Association of Public Administration and Management (SAAPAM)
President
Prof Kgothatso Shai, SAAPAM President, delivered a message of support at the Lim-popo Research Forum Conference, emphasising collaboration between scholars and practitioners to achieve evidence-based policy for sustainable development. He com-mended the forum for addressing critical regional issues and praised the focus on sci-ence, technology, and policy integration. Prof Shai urged participants to produce tan-gible outputs to inform policymaking and encouraged them to contribute to SAAPAM’s scholarly platforms. He expressed confidence in the conference’s success and reaffirmed SAAPAM’s commitment to fostering inclusive growth through research and collaboration.
On day three, the conference closed off with t ransformative i nsights a nd con-cluded with thought-provoking sessions. Attendees examined digital gover-nance’s role in optimising rural service delivery, innovative approaches to e-gover-nance, and transformative technologies’ impact on agriculture and small enterprises.
Prof Ricky Mukonza, Deputy Chairperson of the Limpopo Research Forum
Prof Ricky Mukonza, Deputy Chairperson of the Limpopo Research Forum, delivered closing re-marks emphasising gratitude, reflection, and optimism for the forum’s future contributions. He highlighted the importance of the conference theme, “Innovating for Inclusive Growth: Bringing Science, Technology, and Policy for Sustainable Development,” as a foundation for impactful dis-cussions on leveraging technology for progress. Prof Mukonza praised the Statistician General’s presentation for emphasising the role of official statistics in planning and addressing challenges in Limpopo, including high fertility rates and poverty. Confident in the forum’s impact, he expressed hope that its outcomes would influence provincial policy and drive meaningful development.
As a joint venture between the Limpopo Provincial Government, SAAPAM, UNIVEN, UL, TUT, UNISA and STATS SA, the forum brought together experts to discuss the future of the province and is a testament to the power of partnerships in addressing pressing soci-etal challenges. By fostering a culture of research, excellence and innovation, the prov-ince is well on its way to achieving sustainable development goals and improving the qual-ity of life for all its citizens. The engagement of the University of Venda with the Limpopo Research Forum is in line with UNIVEN Strategic Objective Fifteen (15) for Linkages and Part-nerships and provided a good platform for researchers to interact with other scholars.
Ms Joyce Mukobi when introducing the keynote speaker
UNIVEN delegates pose for a photo with Ms Joyce Mukobi from the Office of the Premier (1st on the first row)
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