Director’s Report

As the global community comes to grips with the post-pandemic “new normal”, many countries will have to navigate the everchanging impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The shock of the pandemic has weighed heavily on social outcomes, with poverty levels estimated to have risen to levels of more than a decade ago and the United Nations Development Programme reporting a global decline over the last two years in the Human Development Index for the first time in history (UNDP Human Development Report 2021/2022). The challenges being faced by South Africans are, inter alia, compounded by several longstanding and more immediate structural, political, socio-economic and developmental hurdles. In his weekly letter to the nation on Nelson Mandela Day (18 July 2022), President Cyril Ramaphosa noted that South Africans are facing “difficult times” circumnavigating challenges such as: the energy crisis, spate of violent crimes which heighten fear and insecurity in communities, the toll poverty and unemployment are taking on the millions who are struggling, and corruption which has intergenerational development the study of human development across generations severely eroded the social compact between the State and its citizens. The President proclaimed that “Building a better South Africa requires each and every one of us to make a contribution in whatever way we can.”

In 2022, the CoE-HUMAN supported an ambitious programme of research and activities that added to our understanding of human development in South Africa. As a result of strategic engagements and discussions, the work of the CoE-HUMAN is now framed and guided by three core themes: life-course development, intergenerational development and the newly formulated, socio-ecological and transformational development. The latter theme seeks to investigate and uncover the interactions between societies, households and their natural environment. We are confident that the newly articulated thematic area will broaden our Human Development work and influence to span the length and breadth of our country.

As our COVID-19, Fourth Industrial Revolution, Climate Change, and Rural Development Grantee Themed Pro- jects come to an end, we extend our appreciation to the Grantees for their meaningful contribution to science, through associated peer-reviewed publications, submission and presentation at conferences and webinars. More outputs are expected from these initiatives in 2023!

We continue to build upon our national collaborations, more specifically, collaborations with historically disadvantaged institutions (HDIs) across South Africa. Over the last year, with the University of Limpopo, we have partnered with Dr Eric Maimela and team to investigate the effects of food insecurity and malnutrition on pregnant and parenting adolescents’ mental health. We have also been to the University of Mpumalanga to partner with Professor Geoffrey Mahlomaholo and colleagues on research aimed to investigate the skills gap reported by youth and local employers in Mpumalanga. Additionally, we will soon be partnering with the Durban University of Technology on a collaborative research project.

As a research-output driven CoE of the DSI-NRF, we are happy to report that the second wave of our nationally representative study – South African Human Development Pulse Survey – is now completed. We also conducted several surveys aimed at providing rapid data to critical human development issues facing South Africans.

A highlight of 2022 was the launch of the Birth-to-Thirty (Bt30) book written by the inaugural Director of the CoE-HUMAN, Distinguished Professor Linda Richter. The Bt30 study is the largest and longest-running birth cohort study in Africa and has been colloquially nicknamed “Mandela’s Children” as the study started with children born just after Nelson Mandela was released from prison. The study culminated in a series of book launches at Wits, Johannesburg and in Jabulani, Soweto. The study intends to keep tracking these families whose lives span South Africa’s democratic transition. In addition, we congratulate Professor Monde Makiwane on the successful launch of his book, Reflections from the Margins – Complexities, Transitions and Developmental Challenges: The Case of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.

Finally, it has been a privilege to serve as Director of CoE-HUMAN, and as I step down, I wish the incoming Director, our partners and core team all the very best. As the CoE-HUMAN marks its 10th year in 2023, I am very proud of what it has achieved and how it has advanced the science of human development.

Prof Shane Norris Director: DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development (CoE-HUMAN)