A Brief Overview of Artificial Intelligence in South Africa

According to a 2008 OECD review of national policies for education in South Africa, typically only 15 percent to 18 percent of secondary school students who sit for their final year exams every year qualify automatically for university-level education; and this number seems to be decreasing as more students choose to complete subjects on so-called standard grade instead of higher grade, a trend that is especially apparent for mathematics and science, the two fields with critical skills shortages in the country. The South African tertiary education sector is quite small for a country with a population of around 50 million, with 11 "traditional" universities, 6 technical universities, and 6 comprehensive universities. The latter university types focus on more technical or vocational education. The public sector also funds 16 research institutions. In spite of these obstacles, South African universities participate in world-class research activities in many fields and range among the best on the African continent.