摘要：Nanotechnology has captured global attention as the technological platform of the next industrial revolution. 1South Africa is one of the few countries from the global South that have adopted nanotechnology with the aim ofenhancing global competitiveness and sustainable economic growth. As early as 2005, South Africa displayedan interest in nanotechnology by publishing and subsequently implementing the nanotechnology strategy andan associated 10-year plan. 2 The strategy explicitly outlined the country’s niche areas in the application ofnanotechnology, namely water, energy, health care, chemical- and bio-processing, mining and minerals, andadvanced materials and manufacturing. 3 The applications focused specifically on areas that were expected tobenefit the country, as the overall goal was to support development. About 10 years have elapsed since thestrategy was implemented and the question has inevitably arisen as to how the technology has contributed to thedevelopment of the country. We argue that it is not easy to measure the impact of nanotechnology on development.
