The Future of Society

This chapter delves into the Future of Society domain within South Africa’s National System of Innovation (NSI), highlighting the urgent imperative to tackle inequality and unequal access to technology. It scrutinizes the challenges within the supportive framework against the backdrop of recent technological advancements, shedding light on the stark digital gap and how it compounds existing disparities. The significance of the Future of Society domain is underscored not only as a technological progression but as a fundamental stride toward attaining social and economic equity. Through the lens of big data analytics, the chapter evaluates the current status of the Future of Society domain and delineates key thrusts identified through the SAForSTI 2030 initiative. These encompass policies and metrics for science, technology, and innovation (STI), the evolving South African populace, and STI for an inclusive, community-driven development. Recommendations for actionable steps are outlined, with an emphasis on adopting a socially attuned approach. Three policy considerations are articulated, namely: (i) reevaluating existing STI-related policies, (ii) fostering active engagement from all sectors in policy formulation, and (iii) facilitating collaborations among NSI stakeholders, including communities.