Science and technology are considered crucial for the creation of wealth and improving the quality of life in modern society. Hence, Governments, as they strive for equitable and sustainable development, have a duty to create an enabling policy environment to support these goals. In South Africa, the 1996 White Paper on Science and Technology introduced the concept of a NSI as an enabling framework for the development and application of science and technology in South Africa. Within this framework, Government (with the line department being the Department of Science and Technology) has the sole responsibility for, at the national level, policy formulation and resource allocation; and for regulatory policy-making.