Research excellence in Africa: Policies, perceptions and performance

Africa’s scientific landscape is evolving, and with it comes a growing focus on research excellence. But what does excellence really mean in the African context? This report, titled ‘Research Excellence in Africa: Policies, Perceptions, and Performance’, dives deep into that question. The study explores how excellence is defined, measured, and pursued across African science systems, mainly by Science Granting Councils (SGCs).

Why Research Excellence Matters in the Context of Africa

Many African countries invest in science to solve pressing social and economic problems. At the same time, international partners are encouraging stronger performance and accountability in research funding. However, “research excellence” is often vague, borrowed from global standards, and rarely tailored to African realities. This report seeks to clarify that by presenting practical insights and recommendations from surveys, literature reviews, and citation data.

Understanding Excellence

Globally, research excellence is often linked to publications in high-impact journals, international awards, or citation counts. But in Africa, researchers and funders emphasize relevance to local problems, social impact, and the training of future scientists. The report argues that excellence must surpass numbers, reflecting Africa’s development priorities, constraints, and ambitions.

What the Study Covers

The report is structured around three main pillars:

1. Policies and Initiatives
   It reviews several African and international efforts to promote excellence. This includes the African Union’s science policies, Centres of Excellence initiatives, and national programs like South Africa’s Research Chairs Initiative. These efforts have helped build infrastructure, attract talent, and support high-quality research, but challenges remain in coordination, funding, and long-term sustainability.
2. Perceptions from the Ground
   The study explores how excellence is understood through surveys of over 100 researchers and research coordinators across sub-Saharan Africa. Respondents highlighted the importance of mentoring, solving real-world problems, and producing impactful research. Interestingly, international funders often push for metrics like publications and citations, while local funders and researchers seek more relevant and inclusive indicators.
3. Performance Through Data
   The report also examines African research performance using bibliometric data, focusing on the “top 1% most cited” research papers. It was found that while Africa produces some world-class research, the most highly cited work involves international collaboration. This raises questions about how to recognize locally driven and relevant excellence, even if it’s not globally cited.

Key Findings

• African researchers see excellence in academic output, mentorship, community impact, and innovation.
• Common indicators like citation counts do not fully capture Africa-specific achievements or priorities.
• International partnerships are often behind highly cited research, but domestic and intra-African collaboration is still limited.
• Both researchers and SGCs cited insufficient funding and poor infrastructure as key obstacles to excellence.

Recommendations for Science Granting Councils

The authors propose several practical steps to help SGCs foster a culture of excellence:

• Develop broader, locally relevant performance indicators, including mentorship, policy influence, and social impact.
• Balance global and local goals by rewarding international recognition and community-based research.
• Invest in data systems to track research outcomes over time and across institutions.
• Promote inclusive policies, such as gender equity and support for young researchers.
• Encourage collaboration internationally, within, and across African countries.

Rethinking Excellence for Africa

This report challenges the idea that research excellence must mimic models from the global North. Instead, it promotes an Africa-centered understanding—one that values relevance, inclusiveness, and long-term impact. Science Grant-Making Councils have a key role to play in shaping this vision by funding smartly, evaluating fairly, and setting standards that match Africa’s unique path toward development.

In short, achieving research excellence in Africa is not just about reaching global benchmarks. It’s about redefining them to reflect Africa’s priorities, and building systems that can support excellence from the ground up.