The South African Open Access Landscape: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

Let us aim to navigate the evolving South African Open Access ecosystem by analysing the critical shift from traditional subscription frameworks to sustainable alternative models. This presentation serves as a strategic discussion for Library Directors to align institutional initiatives with the latest national Open Science policies, ensuring that equity and long-term viability remain at the forefront of our collective negotiations and development strategies. Wits University maintains a strategic leadership position in South Africa’s Open Science transition through a multi-pronged approach that integrates infrastructure and policy support. Central to this strategy is the optimization of institutional repositories and the hosting of Diamond OA platforms, which eliminate financial barriers for both authors and readers. These technical foundations are reinforced by a robust roadmap (July 2026) focused on researcher support and the negotiation of transformative agreements to ensure equitable access to global knowledge.