STI Landscape

South Africa's Science, Technology & Innovation Ecosystem

8
Metros
55%
of SA Population
70%+
Economic Activity
R70B
Annual Capital

Innovation Geography Eight Metropolitan Innovation Hubs

South Africa's eight metropolitan municipalities concentrate the majority of the nation's population, economic output, and innovation capacity. These are the engines of urban regional industrialisation.

Primary Hub

Ekurhuleni

Gauteng
3.4M Pop
R220B GDP
  • OR Tambo International Airport
  • Gauteng Industrial Development Zone
  • Aerotropolis Special Economic Zone
  • Joburg Fresh Produce Market (City Deep)
  • Digital City & Data Centre Corridor
  • Africa's largest concentration of manufacturing SMEs

The Forum's headquarters and primary innovation hub — the only metro without a university.

Gauteng

City of Tshwane

Gauteng
3.3M Pop
R280B GDP
  • CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research)
  • University of Pretoria
  • Tshwane University of Technology (TUT)
  • Automotive manufacturing cluster
  • National government administrative hub
  • Defence and aerospace R&D corridor
Gauteng

City of Johannesburg

Gauteng
5.6M Pop
R510B GDP
  • Financial services hub (JSE, major banks)
  • Tech startup ecosystem (Braamfontein, Sandton)
  • Wits University
  • University of Johannesburg (UJ)
  • Media and creative industries centre
  • Mining and resources headquarters
Western Cape

Cape Town

Western Cape
4.6M Pop
R380B GDP
  • Technology hub (Silicon Cape initiative)
  • University of Cape Town (UCT)
  • Stellenbosch University
  • Wine technology and agritech innovation
  • Renewable energy and green hydrogen R&D
  • Tourism and creative economy
KwaZulu-Natal

eThekwini (Durban)

KwaZulu-Natal
3.9M Pop
R290B GDP
  • Port of Durban (busiest in Africa)
  • Petrochemical and chemical cluster
  • University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN)
  • Durban University of Technology (DUT)
  • Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone
  • Automotive components manufacturing
Free State

Mangaung (Bloemfontein)

Free State
0.8M Pop
R60B GDP
  • University of the Free State (UFS)
  • Central University of Technology (CUT)
  • Agricultural innovation and food technology
  • Judicial capital of South Africa
  • Health sciences research corridor
Eastern Cape

Buffalo City (East London)

Eastern Cape
0.9M Pop
R45B GDP
  • Automotive manufacturing (Mercedes-Benz SA)
  • Walter Sisulu University (WSU)
  • East London Industrial Development Zone
  • Agriprocessing and forestry innovation
  • Emerging renewable energy corridor
Eastern Cape

Nelson Mandela Bay (Gqeberha)

Eastern Cape
1.3M Pop
R75B GDP
  • Automotive cluster (Volkswagen, Isuzu)
  • Nelson Mandela University (NMU)
  • Coega Industrial Development Zone
  • Renewable energy hub (wind & solar)
  • Port of Ngqura (deepwater container port)

SEZs Special Economic Zones

South Africa's SEZs are purpose-built industrial corridors that concentrate incentives, infrastructure, and regulatory streamlining to catalyse manufacturing and export-led growth.

OR Tambo SEZ

Adjacent to Africa's busiest airport, the OR Tambo SEZ focuses on high-value logistics, pharmaceuticals, electronics assembly, and time-sensitive manufacturing for export markets.

Vaal SEZ

Anchored to the Gauteng heavy-industry belt, the Vaal SEZ specialises in steel beneficiation, chemicals, agriprocessing, and energy-intensive manufacturing with direct rail access.

Coega IDZ

Africa's largest IDZ, port-linked via Ngqura deepwater terminal. Core sectors: automotive components, agriprocessing, metals, and renewable energy equipment manufacturing.

East London IDZ

Co-located with the Mercedes-Benz South Africa plant. Focused on automotive supply chain, agriprocessing, aquaculture, and renewable energy component assembly.

Primary Hub Ekurhuleni: The Innovation Capital

Ekurhuleni's Integrated Development Plan is built around five sustainable city themes — each one an innovation opportunity that the Forum's working groups directly address.

Re-urbanise

Smart city infrastructure, digital public services, and spatial transformation to create liveable, connected urban nodes across 9 legacy towns.

Re-industrialise

Advanced manufacturing, 4IR adoption, and industrial technology transfer to revitalise Ekurhuleni's position as Africa's manufacturing heartland.

Re-generate

Green economy transition, hydrogen energy production, renewable energy adoption, and circular economy initiatives to build environmental resilience.

Re-mobilise

Transport innovation through Gautrain extensions, logistics optimisation, last-mile mobility solutions, and smart freight management systems.

Re-govern

Digital governance, open data platforms, smart public services, and evidence-based decision-making to restore citizen trust and institutional capacity.

Alignment Sector-Metro Mapping

Each of the Forum's 10 Working Groups maps to specific metropolitan strengths. Gold dots indicate primary alignment; teal dots indicate strong secondary relevance.

Working Group Ekurhuleni Tshwane Joburg Cape Town eThekwini Mangaung Buffalo City NM Bay
WKG 1 — STI Funding
WKG 2 — Smart Manufacturing
WKG 3 — Hydrogen Energy
WKG 4 — Work-Academic Learning
WKG 5 — AI & Emerging Tech
WKG 6 — Aerospace & Aviation
WKG 7 — Logistics & Transport
WKG 8 — Startup Development
WKG 9 — Digital Health
WKG 10 — University Planning

Explore the Ecosystem

See how the Forum's Working Groups translate geographic advantage into industrial innovation, or learn about the Ekurhuleni University initiative.

View Working Groups Ekurhuleni University