GERD, as reflected in the 2008/9 Research and Development (R&D) survey, showed spending on R&D amounted to R21 billion, that is 0.92 per cent of GDP. The proportion of spending decreased from 0.93 per cent (2007/8) to 0.92 per cent (2008/9). Private sector spending on R&D contributed 58.6 per cent to total expenditure on R&D. 9. Medium-term Expenditure Estimates