Academic literature on the topic 'South African Police Service (SAPS)'

September 2014 marked the release of the 2013/14 crime statistics in South Africa by the National Commissioner of the SAPS and the Minister of Police. Does a sense of safety and security fill the atmosphere? Do most South Africans, investors, and tourists alike believe that the crime rate in South Africa is reflective of a war zone and that South Africa is in a quagmire that engenders irretrievable damage to the lives of the citizenry and the economy? It is accepted that crime is a conflation of a number of economic, social and cultural factors; hence as a reviewable point, can the SAPS ensure the development of unassailable and perpetual policy solutions, underpinned with the highest quality that provides a guarantee of the citizen’s basic constitutional right to freedom and life. This article reviews literature on TQM and extrapolates lessons learnt to the practical functioning of the SAPS with a view to provide a myriad of TQM principles that may be considered by SAPS Management; this could serve as a catalyst for an improved policing service in South Africa.

Quality management systems in public organizations influence the quality of service delivery outputs. The purpose of this study was to determine the quality of service delivery at Community Service Centres (CSC) of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Western Cape, South Africa. A mixed-method research approach was employed to gather data for the study. Both a survey questionnaire and in-depth interviews were used to collect the data. The sample data set contacted 300 respondents from three policing areas situated in the Western Cape Metropolis. The main findings indicated that clients were satisfied with the level of service they received from the SAPS. However, the main area of concern was the absence of service delivery initatives at three police stations.

Since 1994 the South African Police Service (SAPS) has undertaken various efforts to build legitimacy in South Africa. Extensive community policing resources have been made available, and a hybrid community-oriented programme (sector policing) has been pursued. Nevertheless, public opinion data has shown that there are low levels of public trust in the police. Using Goldsmith’s framework of trust-diminishing police behaviours, this article suggests that indifference, a lack of professionalism, incompetence and corruption on the part of the police, particularly in high-crime areas, have eroded public trust in the SAPS. Furthermore, in an effort to maintain order, reduce crime and assert the authority of the state, the police have adopted militaristic strategies and practices, which have contributed to numerous cases of excessive use of force, which has consequently weakened police legitimacy in South Africa

Little information exists regarding the suicide ideation of uniformed members of the South African Police Service (SAPS). The objectives of this study were to determine the level of suicide ideation of police members and to determine the differences between the suicide ideation of various demographic groups. Across-sectional survey design was used. Stratified random samples ( N = 1781) were taken of police members of eight provinces in South Africa. The Adult Suicide Ideation Questionnaire and a biographical questionnaire were administered. The results indicated that 8.30% of the sample showed a high level of suicide ideation. Multiway frequency analyses showed that the observed frequencies of high suicide ideation (compared with low suicide ideation), statistically, were significantly higher than the expected frequencies in groups based on race, rank, gender, province, alcohol consumption, educational qualifications, medical problems and previous suicide attempts.

AbstractPolice reform in South Africa has been a crucial component of democratic consolidation. Yet recent research presents a contrasting set of opinions, indicating low levels of public trust in the South African Police Service (SAPS), but continued belief in their right to enforce the law, and a strong sense of isolation amongst officers themselves. As police are constitutive of the officers who populate their ranks, attention should be given to how ‘democracy’ is perceived by those charged with its protection. Through a series of interviews, this article examines how SAPS officers understand and experience ‘democracy’. Situating officers in the broader society and communities in which they work, it shows that officers conceive of democracy predominantly through the lens of ‘rights’ and that their role in protecting rights is complicated by the transitional nature of South Africa's democracy. It also provides insight into a sense of disempowerment amongst officers, suggesting negative conceptions of the quality of democracy and of the balance of liberal constitutionalism with the democratic impetus of building safer communities.

Police work has been identified as a stressful occupation. Considered in the context of the South African (SA) situation, the paucity of research on the topic is cause for concern. This paper reports a preliminary exploration of stress in the South African Police Service (SAPS). Ninety-one SAPS members in the Cape Peninsula completed a questionnaire consisting of (i) Spielberger's 60-item Police Stress Survey (Spielberger, Westbury, Grier & Greenfield, 1981), and (ii) a 12-item Likert scale identifying potentially stressful areas specific to the South African context. Results show the SA sample to evidence a greater degree of stress than a USA sample. Results indicate that the way In which the police organisation operates in SA creates stress additional to the inherent pressure already existing as a result of the nature of police work. This finding indicates a potential area of intervention, and also shows that further research could profitably be conducted.

In South Africa, media and scholarly research has increasingly drawn into question the correctness of police responses to post-1994 popular protest. Assessments of democratic policing, moreover, emphasise the critical role of the police in democratic development. Existing accounts of protest, however, seldom draw upon the assessments of individual police members. In an attempt to understand the challenges to democratic policing and the dynamics and complexities of protest, this article examines protest from the perspective of rank and file officers in the South African Police Service (SAPS). It shows, not only the importance of recognising bottom-up perspectives in constructing appropriate responses to protest, but the complexity of SAPS members’ own identities as both officers and citizens. Reports of police action indicate the sometimes unwarranted and disproportional use force. Yet, simultaneously, for many officers, protest seems to straddle their police and private lives, conferring on them a duty to enforce law and order, while experiencing the shortcomings of democracy themselves.

This study investigated public perceptions of the service delivery provided by the Community Service Centres (CSC) of the South African Police Service (SAPS) Durban, South Africa. The study focuses on measuring service quality and service delivery. SERVQUAL was used to compare clients’ perceptions against expectations of service quality. Four hundred respondents were surveyed at three community service centres (previously known as ‘police stations’), with expectations and perceptions being assessed via the dimensions of tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. The results indicate that in all five dimensions there is a significant negative quality gap, implying that the quality of service received is below what is expected by clients. Improvements are required in all five dimensions if service delivery is to be improved. Actions needed to improve service quality include regular assessment and monitoring of clients’ experiences, as well as employees’ behaviour.

The social construction of frontline employees’ client service plays a major role in organisational success. This study illuminated why frontline personnel are reluctant to accept organisational change which is in line with new policing philosophies. Applying modernist qualitative methodology, and particularly grounded theory within a case study design a ‘process satisfaction model’ was developed with the aim to improve employee satisfaction with internal processes and ultimately service delivery. This model may be used for change in the South African Police Service SAPS) and other government departments.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) is increasingly moving towards community policing. This movement makes great demands on the interpersonal efficiency of police officers and their trainers. It seems, however, that trainers in the SAPS seldom have sufficient knowledge and/or skills to manage interpersonal contact effectively. A two-group design was used to evaluate a training programme regarding interpersonal efficiency for instructors within the SAPS Training College. It transpired that interpersonal skills improved significantly after completion of the training programme. As far as qualitative impressions are concerned, it was found that certain organisational factors might inhibit the development of interpersonal efficiency of trainers.

The problem of inclusivity in the workplace has been globally acknowledged as a challenge for employees living with disabilities. The objective of this study was to explore the experiences of employees living with disabilities in the South African Police Service (SAPS). Globally, there has been a lot of research conducted on diversity in the workplace; however, research on inclusivity is a rather new phenomenon. A theoretical model on inclusion and diversity in work groups is presented as a framework, which offers insight into the experiences that contribute to feelings of inclusion for a diverse workforce. This model identifies potential contextual factors and outcomes of inclusion. This study further defines inclusion and disability and provides literature on the barriers employees living with disabilities encounter once employed, as well as support structures that could enhance inclusivity for these employees. The study used a qualitative, explorative approach. Fifteen employees of the SAPS were selected for participation, based on their disability type as per the research criteria. A purposive convenient sampling approach was used to identify employees with disabilities, taking into consideration hearing, visual, physical and mobility impairments. Participants varied in age, gender and race and came from stations mostly situated in the southern suburbs of Cape Town, with one participant from George and one participant from Paarl East. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data and provide insight into how employees living with disabilities perceive inclusion in the SAPS. A thematic analysis approach was used to identify which negative and positive experiences of inclusion were identified. Irrespective of the provision of disability policies and legislation, which clearly stipulate that no person may be unfairly discriminated against on the grounds of their disability, the findings from this study indicate that employees living with disabilities still experience discriminatory attitudes in the workplace. While some participants had positive experiences of inclusion, other employees reported negative experiences relating mostly to a lack of management support, non-conducive workplaces, lack of disability awareness, as well as negative attitudes towards disability in the workplace. The results of this study indicate that the general feeling of inclusion in the SAPS is, to a certain degree, fair, and that management and co-worker support, together with reasonable accommodation, played an important role in contributing to making employees living with disabilities feel included. This study shows that more research is required in terms of disability awareness, and an understanding of the needs of employees living with disabilities in the workplace, to create an enabling environment of growth for employees living with disabilities. It is proposed that this study be used to provide employers and employees with a greater understanding of how to effectively include and retain employees living with disabilities.

This thesis examines the patterning of literacy practices of clerks in the South African Police Services (SAPS) and how power relations are perpetuated through institutional structures and associated divisions of workplace tasks, within a workplace like SAPS. An ethnographic-style case study approach was used to examine the literacy practices of three clerks at three different SAPS sites. The data collected included participant observations, interviews, analysis of texts and photographs of documents. The data was then analysed using thematic analysis and discourse analysis. The qualitative data analysis indicated fragmentation of literacy tasks into “bits and pieces” reflecting the “old” capitalism of the traditional workplace. The fragmentation of the clerks’ literacy tasks also resonated with the decontextualized, skillsbased approach of literacy and language curricula and pedagogies that still dominate formal education and literacy learning. Furthermore, it would appear as if the literacy tasks were used as mechanisms to regiment workers since the paper trail served as a means of accountability for compliancy. The problem was compounded by the disjuncture between what is prescribed by SAPS language policy and what was happening in practice, namely, that English is the only “working language” used by SAPS in all official documents despite its claim to facilitate “functional multilingualism” (in Government Gazette, 8 March 2016). Thus, the study concludes that SAPS work-based literacy practices, like the literacy and language practices of the schooling system, are not conducive to producing students and workers who could apply critical and holistic thinking to make sense of disparate literacy tasks. Hence, the patterning of the literacy practices within the workplace serves to perpetuate institutionalized power in a context where needs for compliancy and accountability are high. The study points to the importance of the development of a language and literacy curriculum in the training of members of SAPS that is a hybridization of principles of the skills based and social practices approaches, especially where critical literacy skills still have to be honed. It argues that enabling workers to fulfil tasks with a more holistic understanding of the nature of their work could improve their efficiency, effectiveness and work satisfaction. Clarity, and I daresay, the political will, around the implementation of the prescribed “additive multilingualism” would go a long way to challenging the hegemony of English in powerful institutions of the state.

Thesis (MTech (Public Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016.
Absenteeism in the South African Police Service is without doubt one of the most difficult aspects to manage. It is therefore important for the organisation to have measures in place to reduce absenteeism. More focus is put on the cost of absenteeism without realising the enormous adverse effect it has on service delivery in the South African Police Service. By reducing the absenteeism rate by just one day per employee, organisations can boost productivity, improve morale and improve their profit margins significantly (Nel, 2013:1). This research project examined the impact on service delivery of time lost through absenteeism in the South African Police Service with specific reference to the Kuils River cluster Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. Problems relating to absenteeism as well as the main contributors to absenteeism were identified by the researcher and recommendations were made. A quantitative research approach was followed with a survey amongst staff members. The data analysis from the questionnaire was compiled by the in-house statistician that was recommended by Cape Peninsula University of Technology. The research project makes recommendations that address the problems highlighted in this empirical study, as well as a recommendation for further studies.

Since 1991. South Africa has a new democratic dispensation. This new- Democracy in South Africa has the aim to change the lives of ever)- citizen in South Africa. A new Constitution and the Bill of Rights have been adopted to ensure that discrimination policies of the past are to be addressed. The Government of South Africa committed itself to gender equality and this commitment has to transpire to all public institutions. It is therefore. important that public institutions should engage in a process of ongoing change and investigate their own controlled styles in support of gender justice. In the South African Police. before 1994. women were not considered as an essential part of the workforce and they were not employed in senior management positions. The new South African Police Service adopted community policing as a new style of policing and embarked on a strong sense of service delivery to the community. South Africa has a diverse community and to enable the SAPS to deliver a proper service to the community they serve, the human-resource component should reflect this: incorporating men and women as equal partners. The managers of the SAPS have therefore to change accordingly and with that the whole organisation and its members. When times change. it requires a change in attitudes and perceptions. The aim of this study was to engender a new consciousness in the SAPS and the society about the role of policewomen as competent managers in a male-dominated profession and not for superiority of any of the genders. In any society women play a critical role: therefore the respect for the rights of women in society brings capability and builds capacity. Semi-structured interview schedules were used to conduct interviews with female police station managers as well as their subordinates at different stations to obtain the necessary information. A literature re vie^ was done to obtain information and views from other authors on the topic of policewomen. Limited research has been done on policewomen or on women in management positions in SAPS. Chapter one provides an orientation to the study. Legislation by Government as well as policies and directives from the SAPS were discussed in Chapter 2 to set the scene for the study. The question is asked whether these legislation. policies and directives are effectively being implemented to enhance the development of women in the organisation and to give them a fair chance to show their skills and competencies in managerial positions. The study further materialises in a discussion on the role and performance of women in the policing environment and a historical background of women in policing in South .Africa. The remainder of the study focuses on the research methodology. the empirical findings: a summary: recommendations and a conclusion.
Thesis (M. Development and Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between WFC and stress with Conscientiousness which is part of the Big Five personality Traits Model in moderation. The study was undertaken in the South African Police Service members in Alice town in the Eastern Cape. The study was based on a sample size of eighty four (n=84) out of 134 (N=134) police officers. A simple convenient random sample was used to sample participants. With the use of descriptive, correlation and inferential statistics the finding revealed instead that Conscientiousness has no significant relationship with WFC at (r= 0.02792, p= 0.8022) also Conscientiousness had no significant relationship with stress at (r= -0.04465, p= 0.6885). Overall, after separating the group according to those that scored low and those that scored high on conscientiousness scale, the study found the group low in conscientiousness not significantly correlated with WFC and stress (r= -0.02263, p= 0.9414). and the group with a high conscientiousness the study revealed a high significant relationship for police officers that scored high on Conscientiousness at (r= 0.40119, p< 0.00). The group low in conscientiousness has no correlation between WFC and stress thus different values of conscientiousness cause a change in the relationship between WFC and stress. Thus those who are low in conscientiousness do not have a relationship between WFC and stress. A call is made to the SAPS as an institution to consider prioritizing personality trait particularly applicants that score low on conscientiousness personality test during recruitment and selection of new police officers to avoid the outcomes associated with the nature of police work.

Thesis (MPA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this thesis is to assess the performance appraisal system, namely the Performance Enhancement Process (PEP), of the South African Police Services at Parow. The premise of the study is that PEP is a sound policy document, but that there are potential problems with its implementation at station level. To this end, the reader is presented with an overview of the relevant literature pertaining to performance appraisals. The shift in managerial philosophy and the organisational change from a force to a service and its effect on performance appraisals are discussed. The results of the empirical study are presented and it is concluded that there are various problems with the implementation of PEP at station level. The researcher presents the following practical recommendations: - Conduct an audit; - Eliminate structural problems; - Adequate appraiser training; - Appraisee training; - Connect the PA system to other organisation systems; and - Obtain a charter from top management. The reader is then presented with a conclusion of the research.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die tesis is om die prestasie waardering stelsel van die Suid Afrikaanse Polisie Dienste, naamlik die Prestasie Verbeterings Proses (PEP), te evalueer te Parow. Die uitgangspunt van die studie is dat PEP ‘n gesonde beleidsdokument is, maar dat daar egter potensiële probleme is met die implementering daarvan op stasie vlak. Om hieraan te voldoen, word die leser voorsien van ‘n oorsig oor die toepaslike literatuur betrokke tot prestasie waardering. Die verskuiwing in bestuursfilosofie en die organisatoriese verandering van ‘n mag tot ‘n diens en die effek op prestasie waardering word bespreek. Die uitslae van die empiriese studie word aangebied en die gevolgtrekking word gemaak dat daar wel verskeie probleme is met die implementering van PEP op stasievlak. Die navorser bied die volgende prakiese aanbevelings aan: - Die aanvoer van ‘n oudit; - Eliminering van struktuele probleme; - Voldoende “appraiser” opleiding; - “Appraisee” opleiding; - Opkoppeling van die waardeeringstelsel met ander organisatoriese stelsels; en - Kry ‘n handves van topbestuur. Die leser voorsien van ’n gevolgtrekking oor die studie.

Thesis (MPhil (Sociology and Social Anthropology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Niederhoffer developed a scale in the early 1960s to measure the level of cynicism among police officials. Niederhoffer concluded that cynicism is prevalent among police officials and that professionalization of the police occupation is the root cause of cynicism. The Niederhoffer scale was subjected over years to a number of methodological tests. It was found to be multi-dimensional whilst some authors found that the scale is invalid. In this study, we confirmed these findings to some extent in that it was found that the Niederhoffer’s scale is indeed multi-dimensional and that it has a low internal reliability. This study also replicated some of Niederhoffer’s substantive hypotheses which were supported by our empirical data. The various dimensions of scale were also correlated with an Attitude Towards Organizational Change scale. It was found that cynicism is related most strongly to both fear of change and acceptance of change.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die vroeë 1960’s het Niederhoffer ‘n skaal ontwikkel om die vlakke van sinisme onder polisie-amptenare te meet. Niederhoffer vind sinisme onder polisie-amptenare en skryf dit toe aan die professionalisering van dié beroep. Niederhoffer se skaal is geruime tyd al aan ‘n aantal metodologiese toetse onderwerp en die bevinding was dat dit meerdimensioneel is, hoewel sommige outeurs dit ongeldig bevind het. In hierdie studie is ook bevind dat Niederhoffer se skaal meerdimensioneel is met ‘n lae interne betroubaarheidstelling. Die studie herhaal sommige van Niederhoffer se hipoteses en bied steun aan die meeste van sy hipoteses. Die verskeie skaaldimensies is met die Houding Teenoor Organisatoriese Verandering-skaal in verband gebring en die bevinding is dat sinisme aan beide vrees vir verandering en aanvaarding van verandering verwant is.

Masters in Public Administration - MPA
The Beginning of the paradigm shift in policing in the South African Police was first seen in 1993 when the concept of Community Policing was first introduced. The South African Police Service that was formed through the Police Act 68 of 1995 subsequently adopted Community Policing as a Corporate Strategy of the organisation. There is a question as to whether some of the efforts reflect the necessary elements of community policing or are merely reactions to a contemporary political thrust for police reform. This study seeks to critically analyse the challenges and contradictions in Community Policing in terms of strategy and organisation. Nyanga SAPS will be use as the case study. Nyanga is one of the Police Stations in the so-called Black Township that has been engulfed by Community-Police conflicts since the democratic dispensation came into existence in South Africa. The highest point of this animosity saw certain people within the community between 1998 and 1999 reporting criminal activities to Taxi Operators rather than to the police. This study will be approached through gap analysis. The author will first describe the desired state of affairs in terms where the SAPS should be, in relation to reform policies put in place by the government. This will be followed by the analysis of the present situation in Nyanga, which will highlight the shortcomings. Then the study will put forward recommendations which should address the identified shortcomings. Based on that, the strategy that should inform policing in the new millennium will be developed. The author will recommend an African approach to policing as it has become apparent that the policing approaches are different for different countries and different communities. The author will propose full participation of the public in policing, in terms of determining policing priorities in their areas.

The South African police are widely critiqued for their institutional failures and widespread corruption, but the communities in this project point to the importance of the police in efforts to address violence, punish perpetrators, and protect survivors. This is a chilling finding, given the wide discretion the police exercise in cases of abuse and violence. This chapter examines some of the factors that help police stations become positive community leaders, including sector policing, visible policing, community policing, and victim support. The chapter also reveals their overreliance on contracting out key service delivery to volunteers. Volunteers and police also expressed a high level of burnout and secondary trauma working in this sector.

This report maps the African landscape of Open Science – with a focus on Open Data as a sub-set of Open Science. Data to inform the landscape study were collected through a variety of methods, including surveys, desk research, engagement with a community of practice, networking with stakeholders, participation in conferences, case study presentations, and workshops hosted. Although the majority of African countries (35 of 54) demonstrates commitment to science through its investment in research and development (R&D), academies of science, ministries of science and technology, policies, recognition of research, and participation in the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), the following countries demonstrate the highest commitment and political willingness to invest in science: Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. In addition to existing policies in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), the following countries have made progress towards Open Data policies: Botswana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, South Africa and Uganda. Only two African countries (Kenya and South Africa) at this stage contribute 0.8% of its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to R&D (Research and Development), which is the closest to the AU’s (African Union’s) suggested 1%. Countries such as Lesotho and Madagascar ranked as 0%, while the R&D expenditure for 24 African countries is unknown. In addition to this, science globally has become fully dependent on stable ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) infrastructure, which includes connectivity/bandwidth, high performance computing facilities and data services. This is especially applicable since countries globally are finding themselves in the midst of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR), which is not only “about” data, but which “is” data. According to an article1 by Alan Marcus (2015) (Senior Director, Head of Information Technology and Telecommunications Industries, World Economic Forum), “At its core, data represents a post-industrial opportunity. Its uses have unprecedented complexity, velocity and global reach. As digital communications become ubiquitous, data will rule in a world where nearly everyone and everything is connected in real time. That will require a highly reliable, secure and available infrastructure at its core, and innovation at the edge.” Every industry is affected as part of this revolution – also science. An important component of the digital transformation is “trust” – people must be able to trust that governments and all other industries (including the science sector), adequately handle and protect their data. This requires accountability on a global level, and digital industries must embrace the change and go for a higher standard of protection. “This will reassure consumers and citizens, benefitting the whole digital economy”, says Marcus. A stable and secure information and communication technologies (ICT) infrastructure – currently provided by the National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) – is key to advance collaboration in science. The AfricaConnect2 project (AfricaConnect (2012–2014) and AfricaConnect2 (2016–2018)) through establishing connectivity between National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), is planning to roll out AfricaConnect3 by the end of 2019. The concern however is that selected African governments (with the exception of a few countries such as South Africa, Mozambique, Ethiopia and others) have low awareness of the impact the Internet has today on all societal levels, how much ICT (and the 4th Industrial Revolution) have affected research, and the added value an NREN can bring to higher education and research in addressing the respective needs, which is far more complex than simply providing connectivity. Apart from more commitment and investment in R&D, African governments – to become and remain part of the 4th Industrial Revolution – have no option other than to acknowledge and commit to the role NRENs play in advancing science towards addressing the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals). For successful collaboration and direction, it is fundamental that policies within one country are aligned with one another. Alignment on continental level is crucial for the future Pan-African African Open Science Platform to be successful. Both the HIPSSA ((Harmonization of ICT Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa)3 project and WATRA (the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly)4, have made progress towards the regulation of the telecom sector, and in particular of bottlenecks which curb the development of competition among ISPs. A study under HIPSSA identified potential bottlenecks in access at an affordable price to the international capacity of submarine cables and suggested means and tools used by regulators to remedy them. Work on the recommended measures and making them operational continues in collaboration with WATRA. In addition to sufficient bandwidth and connectivity, high-performance computing facilities and services in support of data sharing are also required. The South African National Integrated Cyberinfrastructure System5 (NICIS) has made great progress in planning and setting up a cyberinfrastructure ecosystem in support of collaborative science and data sharing. The regional Southern African Development Community6 (SADC) Cyber-infrastructure Framework provides a valuable roadmap towards high-speed Internet, developing human capacity and skills in ICT technologies, high- performance computing and more. The following countries have been identified as having high-performance computing facilities, some as a result of the Square Kilometre Array7 (SKA) partnership: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Tunisia, and Zambia. More and more NRENs – especially the Level 6 NRENs 8 (Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, and recently Zambia) – are exploring offering additional services; also in support of data sharing and transfer. The following NRENs already allow for running data-intensive applications and sharing of high-end computing assets, bio-modelling and computation on high-performance/ supercomputers: KENET (Kenya), TENET (South Africa), RENU (Uganda), ZAMREN (Zambia), EUN (Egypt) and ARN (Algeria). Fifteen higher education training institutions from eight African countries (Botswana, Benin, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, and Tanzania) have been identified as offering formal courses on data science. In addition to formal degrees, a number of international short courses have been developed and free international online courses are also available as an option to build capacity and integrate as part of curricula. The small number of higher education or research intensive institutions offering data science is however insufficient, and there is a desperate need for more training in data science. The CODATA-RDA Schools of Research Data Science aim at addressing the continental need for foundational data skills across all disciplines, along with training conducted by The Carpentries 9 programme (specifically Data Carpentry 10 ). Thus far, CODATA-RDA schools in collaboration with AOSP, integrating content from Data Carpentry, were presented in Rwanda (in 2018), and during17-29 June 2019, in Ethiopia. Awareness regarding Open Science (including Open Data) is evident through the 12 Open Science-related Open Access/Open Data/Open Science declarations and agreements endorsed or signed by African governments; 200 Open Access journals from Africa registered on the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ); 174 Open Access institutional research repositories registered on openDOAR (Directory of Open Access Repositories); 33 Open Access/Open Science policies registered on ROARMAP (Registry of Open Access Repository Mandates and Policies); 24 data repositories registered with the Registry of Data Repositories (re3data.org) (although the pilot project identified 66 research data repositories); and one data repository assigned the CoreTrustSeal. Although this is a start, far more needs to be done to align African data curation and research practices with global standards. Funding to conduct research remains a challenge. African researchers mostly fund their own research, and there are little incentives for them to make their research and accompanying data sets openly accessible. Funding and peer recognition, along with an enabling research environment conducive for research, are regarded as major incentives. The landscape report concludes with a number of concerns towards sharing research data openly, as well as challenges in terms of Open Data policy, ICT infrastructure supportive of data sharing, capacity building, lack of skills, and the need for incentives. Although great progress has been made in terms of Open Science and Open Data practices, more awareness needs to be created and further advocacy efforts are required for buy-in from African governments. A federated African Open Science Platform (AOSP) will not only encourage more collaboration among researchers in addressing the SDGs, but it will also benefit the many stakeholders identified as part of the pilot phase. The time is now, for governments in Africa, to acknowledge the important role of science in general, but specifically Open Science and Open Data, through developing and aligning the relevant policies, investing in an ICT infrastructure conducive for data sharing through committing funding to making NRENs financially sustainable, incentivising open research practices by scientists, and creating opportunities for more scientists and stakeholders across all disciplines to be trained in data management.