About Us

The South African PhD Project is an initiative of the National Research Foundation (NRF) that was officially launched at the end of 2007 in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The programme strives to address the local human capital requirements by increasing the number of qualified postgraduate professionals in South Africa. 

Vision

A strong, diverse and resilient qualified professional base for the South African public and private sector

Mission

A five-fold increase in the annual production of quality PhDs by 2025. This translates to 6 000 PhD graduates per annum from a base of around 1 200 PhD graduates per annum

Objectives

• Increase the number of qualified South Africans for critical positions in academia, the public service and the private sector.
• Provide a hub for nurturing peer and mentor support networks for potential PhD candidates.
• Increase the number, and diversity, of role models and mentors.
• Contribute towards developing a more equitable private and public sector workforce to service a diversified customer base.
• Foster collaborative private public partnerships for human capital development in South Africa.