Africa

South Africa

Inventions of South Africa origin, wherever they were filed: 2,413 international patent families with an earliest filing from 2015 to 2024, the 37th most of the 40 countries listed.

International families: 2,4130.1% of the world
All families: 5,013home filings included
Taken abroad: 48%121 triadic
Growth: 0.7×2020 to 2024 against the five before

Year by year

Patent families of South Africa origin by the year of the earliest filing, 2000 to 2025; 2025 is a part year, still filling in.

Source: Global Institute for National Capability (GINC), 2026. Underlying patents from 107 patent offices, IFI CLAIMS and Google

Innovation and National Capability

The nine domains of the National Capability Framework, each with the capabilities in which South Africa has the most international patent families, in the period chosen. 2025 is a part year and 2026 has barely begun. Select a capability for its page.

Hard Power

Critical Technology

189 international families

Applied AI & Advanced Analytics

Synthetic Biology & Genetic Engineering

Biomanufacturing

Privacy, Identity & Trust Technologies

Advanced Therapeutics, Vaccines & Medical Countermeasures

Advanced Wireless Communication

Strategic Infrastructure

470 international families

Mining & Quarrying

Processing & Refining

Production Systems

Chemicals & Hazardous Process Industry

Payments & Settlement Systems

Water Supply & Treatment

National Security

30 international families

Land Fires

Combined Arms Manoeuvre

Imagery & Geospatial Intelligence

Sea Denial & Undersea Warfare

Space Support to Operations

Defensive Cyber Operations

Soft Power

Human Capital

154 international families

Physical Health & Longevity

Service Delivery & Coverage

Nutrition & Preventive Health

Public Health Functions

Knowledge Production

Occupational Skills & Certification

Information & Influence

39 international families

Sports & Major Events

International Media & Broadcasting

Creative Industries & Cultural Export Reach

Governance & Integrity

52 international families

Policing & Law Enforcement

Civil Protection & Emergency Management

Access to Justice & Legal Services

Digital Government & Service Delivery

National Risk Assessment & Early Warning

Organised Crime & Illicit Economy Response

Economic Power

Financial Strength

44 international families

Payment & Market Infrastructure Oversight

Financial Inclusion & Household Access

Currency Issuance & Digital Money

Long-Term & Institutional Capital

Banking System Capacity

Capital Markets Depth & Development

Production & Innovation

1,013 international families

Foundational & Process Industries

Manufacturing & Advanced Industry

Agrifood & Primary Production

Digital Economy Adoption

Services Economy

Industrial Technology Diffusion

127

Trade & Investment

55 international families

Digital Trade & E-Commerce

Maritime & Logistics Services

Standards, Conformity & Quality Infrastructure

Tourism & Visitor Economy

Strategic Supply Security

Customs & Border Management

Where its patents run deepest

International patent families, 2015 to 2024, in each capability of the National Capability Framework. Share of world is South Africa's part of every country's families in the capability. Leans sets the capability's share of South Africa's families against its share of the world's: 2.0× means twice the world's weight. Growth compares the latest five full years with the five before.


Foundational & Process Industries	Production & Innovation	241	0.1%	37 of 40	1.2×	1.1×
Manufacturing & Advanced Industry	Production & Innovation	227	0.0%	37 of 40	0.7×	0.7×
Agrifood & Primary Production	Production & Innovation	203	0.2%	33 of 40	2.4×	0.7×
Mining & Quarrying	Strategic Infrastructure	185	4.2%	5 of 40	64×	0.6×
Service Delivery & Coverage	Human Capital	183	0.1%	36 of 40	1.1×	0.5×
Physical Health & Longevity	Human Capital	144	0.1%	37 of 40	1.1×	0.9×
Digital Economy Adoption	Production & Innovation	112	0.2%	30 of 40	2.3×	0.8×
Processing & Refining	Strategic Infrastructure	95	0.4%	27 of 40	5.8×	0.8×
Production Systems	Strategic Infrastructure	84	0.0%	39 of 40	0.4×	1.0×
Services Economy	Production & Innovation	83	0.1%	31 of 40	1.5×	0.8×
Chemicals & Hazardous Process Industry	Strategic Infrastructure	78	0.1%	33 of 40	1.6×	1.0×
Payments & Settlement Systems	Strategic Infrastructure	74	0.3%	25 of 40	4.5×	0.8×
Mobile & Wireless Networks	Strategic Infrastructure	66	0.0%	33 of 40	0.4×	0.3×
Water Supply & Treatment	Strategic Infrastructure	64	0.3%	28 of 40	4.0×	0.6×
Applied AI & Advanced Analytics	Critical Technology	60	0.0%	36 of 40	0.4×	0.9×
Advanced Wireless Communication	Critical Technology	59	0.0%	33 of 40	0.4×	0.3×
Wastewater & Sanitation	Strategic Infrastructure	59	0.2%	30 of 40	3.2×	0.5×
Payment & Market Infrastructure Oversight	Financial Strength	54	0.3%	24 of 40	4.9×	1.0×
Sports & Major Events	Information & Influence	50	0.3%	31 of 40	4.1×	1.1×
AI Tools & Applications	Strategic Infrastructure	49	0.0%	37 of 40	0.3×	0.8×
Privacy, Identity & Trust Technologies	Critical Technology	48	0.1%	34 of 40	1.0×	0.5×
Oil & Gas Extraction	Strategic Infrastructure	48	0.1%	28 of 40	1.9×	0.7×
Policing & Law Enforcement	Governance & Integrity	48	0.1%	30 of 40	1.3×	1.7×
Maritime & Logistics Services	Trade & Investment	44	0.1%	32 of 40	1.9×	0.7×
Synthetic Biology & Genetic Engineering	Critical Technology	43	0.1%	34 of 40	0.9×	0.8×

By domain and applicant

International patent families, 2015 to 2024. A family counts once in each domain it reaches.

Domains of the framework

Strategic Infrastructure

Critical Technology

Human Capital

Trade & Investment

Governance & Integrity

Financial Strength

Information & Influence

National Security

1,108

445

363

115

108

Largest applicants

UNIV CAPE TOWN

UNIV STELLENBOSCH

DETNET SOUTH AFRICA PTY LTD

CSIR

UNIV PRETORIA

UNIV JOHANNESBURG WITWATERSRAND

UNIV SOUTH AFRICA

NCM INNOVATIONS PTY LTD

DETNET SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD

MINTEK