Briefing note released: Optimising South Africa’s policy advice system
What will it take to strengthen South Africa’s policy advice system at the centre of government? This write-up from our Digital Dialogue with the OECD explores the challenges and highlights proposal for practical reforms.
Reflecting on digitalisation in the public sector in Mexico City
Prof. Willem Fourie recently participated in the MGG/PRODIGEES Final Conference in Mexico City, which brought together global partners to reflect on digitalisation and sustainability. The event aimed to explore how digital technologies can support equitable and sustainable development, particular in the global south.
AI in government: Insights from the Lab’s Digital Dialogue
AI is transforming government, but without clear policies, it risks deepening inequality and eroding trust. Experts from Microsoft, Google, Meta and the Global Centre for AI Governance at the Policy Innovation Lab’s recent Digital Dialogue outlined how South Africa can harness AI’s benefits, namely through regulation, skills investment and innovation, while safeguarding transparency, security and inclusion.
Responsible AI for transformative policymaking in South Africa
In 2025, the Policy Innovation is focussing on responsible AI to transform policymaking in South Africa. Our work will focus on ethical AI governance and developing AI tools to optimise policy design and implementation. From enhancing public sector capacity to coordinating digital transformation, to prototyping AI-driven policy tools, our work bridges research, teaching, and partnerships with key stakeholders. Explore how we’re shaping AI’s role in policymaking.
Briefing Note released: South Africa and the G20 in a fragmented world
The Policy Innovation Lab partnered with South Africa’s government to host a dialogue with global experts, providing reflections on priorities of relevance for the country’s historic G20 presidency. The briefing note, 'South Africa and the G20 in a Fragmented World', highlights actionable priorities for addressing global challenges and advancing Africa’s agenda.
Policy Innovation Lab strengthens policy costing skills with new training
The Policy Innovation Lab recently facilitated an online Policy Costing Refresher Course, equipping policy makers with up-to-date knowledge and expertise to make more informed, evidence-based decisions that align with global best practices.
Dr Gray Manicom represents Lab at Meta LLM community meetup
In August, Meta hosted the Llama Community Meetup at their headquarters in Johannesburg, following the release of Meta’s latest open-source large language model, Llama 3.1. Dr Gray Manicom represented the Policy Innovation Lab at the meeting, and discusses some of the highlights.
Prof Willem Fourie appointed as inaugural Chair of Policy Innovation
Stellenbosch University has appointed Prof Willem Fourie as the inaugural Chair of Policy Innovation at the School for Data Science and Computational Thinking. The Chair will create a platform for high-impact and societally-relevant research on the application and governance of data science tools to enhance policymaking in South Africa.
