In recent years, South Africa has witnessed a notable surge in the adoption of Open Access (OA) publishing, a transformative approach designed to democratize access to scholarly research. Despite this positive trend, the country faces significant hurdles, notably the absence of a cohesive national policy that could guide and streamline Open Access efforts. Motivated by the global OA2020 initiative, a diverse array of scientific and educational organizations in South Africa are collaborating to forge a robust pathway toward increased Open Access.
This article provides an in-depth overview of South Africa’s history with Open Access mandates and its current policies, tailored for researchers aiming to publish or access scholarly works.
Open Access is the new paradigm
Open Access is a revolutionary publishing model that enables immediate, cost-free access to scholarly research, empowering readers and researchers alike. This model not only facilitates access but also permits the reuse of research findings for further academic pursuits.
History of Open Access in South Africa
Over the past two decades, numerous open science initiatives have emerged, significantly impacting the landscape of scholarly publishing in South Africa. Below is a timeline highlighting the key milestones in the development of Open Access:
- 2009: South Africa officially became part of the SciELO Program, a comprehensive initiative providing a searchable, full-text database for Open Access journals, enhancing the visibility of local research.
- 2010: The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) launched an extensive study exploring the financial burdens of subscription-based models and artificial processing charges throughout the nation.
- 2012: The prestigious Berlin 10 Open Access Conference was hosted by Stellenbosch University, focusing on dismantling the financial barriers that hinder academic access.
- 2013: The South African SciELO database evolved into an autonomous national collection, thereby solidifying its role in promoting Open Access content.
- 2015: The National Research Foundation (NRF) instituted a mandate requiring authors funded by the government to deposit their research in institutional repositories, enforcing an embargo period of no more than 12 months.
- 2016: The Dakar Declaration on Open Science in Africa was adopted, urging immediate action from both institutions and government entities to propel scientific advancement across the continent.
- 2017: The launch of the African Open Science Platform (AOSP) offered a collaborative framework, delivering essential tools and concepts for the practice of Open Science.
- 2018: Universities South Africa (USAf) convened to ensure alignment with the OA2020 Project, reflecting a growing commitment toward Open Access initiatives.
- 2019: The Department of Science and Innovation released a comprehensive White Paper which made science, technology, and innovation central to national priorities, explicitly emphasizing the essential role of Open Access in these domains.
- 2024: The prestigious Open Science in the South 2024 summit will be co-hosted by the NRF in Cape Town, which aims to survey and analyze the publishing practices of African scientists as well as the overall African publishing ecosystem.
South Africa has made significant strides toward establishing a conducive infrastructure and essential tools for Open Access. The SciELO initiative stands out as a crucial player, providing access to a vast database of Open Access journals, thereby enhancing the dissemination of research. Furthermore, the aspirations articulated in the Dakar Declaration and the White Paper indicate a strong desire to advance open science practices within the country.
Current Open Access laws in South Africa
Within South Africa, an inequitable system for higher education and science has emerged, characterized by stark disparities among institutions. Concurrently, researchers are grappling with the rising costs associated with journal subscriptions, which threaten the accessibility of academic literature.
Despite the sluggish pace of government support for Open Access, several pivotal developments have occurred over the last two decades. Central attention has been devoted to the establishment of both institutional- and national-level repositories, as well as the creation of Open Access journals. These developments largely integrate into the SciELO framework, enhancing accessibility.
In 2015, the NRF, the governmental body tasked with research and science development, outlined explicit mandates that required:
[Authors receiving funding] should deposit their final peer-reviewed manuscripts that have been accepted by the journals, to the administering Institution Repository with an embargo period of no more than 12 months.
Moreover, any data supporting the research findings must be archived in an accredited Open Access repository, supporting transparency and accessibility in research.
Accordingly, the country is now home to numerous institutional repositories, which enhance the accessibility and visibility of scholarly output.
License agreements
The South African National Library and Information Consortium (SANLiC) holds a key position as the primary facilitator of access to high-quality electronic scholarly information, contributing significantly to Open Access efforts.
Currently, the SANLiC’s draft open science policy aims to mandate Open Access for all publications arising from publicly funded research, with a long-term vision of extending this mandate to cover work funded by all sources. The policy emphasizes the principle of “as open as possible, as closed as necessary,” which seeks to balance accessibility with the necessary safeguarding of intellectual property.
The Consortium actively negotiates collective licensing agreements with publishers and aggregators, thereby enhancing access to essential scholarly resources and promoting collaboration across institutions.
International initiatives
In 2018, USAf convened to formalize partnerships between universities and the OA2020 initiative, which represents a global effort to accelerate the transition toward Open Access. This initiative seeks to align institutions and provide vital support for a more equitable scholarly publishing landscape. The vision behind OA2020 calls for “an open, financially sustainable and globally equitable scholarly publishing system,” while the mission stresses that:
The subscription paywall system propagates disparities. By repurposing their former subscription investments to support open access publishing, libraries and research institutions around the world are reducing disparities, enabling free and universal access to new knowledge for researchers everywhere.
Several notable South African institutions have signed on to this initiative, including:
- Central University of Technology, Free State.
- National School of Government.
- South African National Library and Information Consortium.
- The Da Vinci Institute For Technology Management.
- University of the Free State.
- University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
Additionally, there are three prominent continent-wide initiatives that focus on bolstering support for African researchers and fostering open science practices.
African Journals Online, established in 1998, serves as a premier online repository of African scholarly journals. This platform not only enhances visibility for African researchers but also offers technical training and resources to promote best practices in journal publishing.
The African Open Science Platform (AOSP) takes a multi-institutional approach to provide essential tools and frameworks for African scientists to engage in open science. It supports the ability to find, deposit, manage, share, and reuse research outputs while fostering a collaborative community environment.
AfricArXiv functions as a pan-African Open Access repository, designed to be community-driven and to facilitate the digital archiving of a diverse array of African research outputs.
Future trends
In 2023, USAf released a significant briefing document detailing South Africa’s trajectory toward Open Access. The document reveals the prevailing inequalities in access to scholarly journals and information databases, outlining a collective commitment from ASSAf, along with other prominent institutions, to ensure equitable access for all South African scholars and students. The document further affirms support for OA2020’s objectives.
Outlined next steps include:
- Hosting collaborative meetings between academics, librarians, and research managers;
- Strengthening partnerships with OA2020;
- Gathering and analyzing data on emerging publishing models;
- Transitioning from an institutional to a national approach;
- Formulating a comprehensive national roadmap to Open Access.
This briefing document reflects a pivotal moment for Open Access in South Africa, aligning stakeholders with the goals articulated in the 2019 White Paper and OA2020’s mission. It appears that various organizations within the country are beginning to synchronize their goals and practical strategies to enhance Open Access.
As a result, South Africa may roll out a national Open Access policy in the forthcoming years, inspired by the frameworks established by OA2020.
Value of Open Access
- Everyone has free and unlimited access to the full text of all articles published in MDPI journals;
- Everyone is free to re-use the published material if proper accreditation/citation of the original publication is given;
- Open Access publication is supported by the authors’ institutes or research funding agencies by payment of a comparatively low Article Processing Charge (APC) for accepted articles.
Open Access significantly boosts accessibility to vital information for all readers and researchers, thereby fostering collaboration amongst scholars worldwide. This paradigm is particularly conducive for addressing pressing global challenges such as climate change and cancer research, demanding immediate, coordinated action.
South Africa’s leading scientific organizations are committed to collaborating and paving the way toward a more comprehensive Open Access framework. Click here to immerse yourself in the broader landscape of Open Access initiatives worldwide.
