Description: The data set comprises the raw data from the 979 valid completed Innovation Survey questionnaires from the 979 private sector business enterprises plus the weightings for each cell defined by one of four size classes and Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) sub-sector. The data set has restricted access for the project team only. Abstract: Innovation Surveys are currently designed to measure the extent of innovative activity in the industry and service sectors of the economy and are based on the guidelines of the OECD/Eurostat Oslo Manual and the core EU Community Innovation Survey (CIS) but are usually adapted by countries to meet particular country needs or conditions.

Innovation Surveys are a source of data for developing policies to enhance innovation. The South African Innovation Survey follows the international OECD/Eurostat guidelines and methodology and is based on the core CIS with modifications and a few particular questions for the South African environment. Following international methodology allows the results of the South African Innovation Survey to be usefully compared with the results from other countries.

The National innovation survey 2005 collected primary data from the business sector, including Mining and Quarrying, Manufacturing, Electricity, Wholesale and Retail Trade, Transport and Financial Intermediation.

Some general organisational information was collected. The survey however focussed on product and process innovation.

Some of the indicators collected included the following:

Share of firms that introduced a product innovation

Share of firms that introduced a process innovation

Share of firms that introduced a new-to-market product innovation

Sources of information for innovation

Total expenditures on innovation [as a % of total turnover]

Factors hampering innovation in firms

Share of (innovation active) firms that co-operated with foreign partners on innovation

Share of (innovation active) firms that received public financial support for innovation

Educational measurements

Postal survey

Telephone interview

Enterprises from the industrial sectors, including Mining, Manufacturing, Electricity, Wholesale and Retail Trade, Transport and Financial Intermediation.

A multi-stage stratified random sample by Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) and size-group of enterprise was drawn from the September 2004 business register of Statistics South Africa. Turnover was used as a Measure Of Size (MOS) on the Business Frame (BSF). Applying DST sample specification a frame with 104 202 enterprises was created. To achieve a desired sample of 300 enterprises from this frame the number of size group 1 and 4 enterprises was reduced since it was planned that a census of the size group 1 enterprises was to be taken and only enterprises with over 10 employees were to be included in the sample. The resulting sample consisted of 3,087 enterprises with appropriate weights. After two postal rounds, telephonic and e-mail follow ups and reminders a final response of 979 completed questionnaires was obtained.

The detailed sampling procedure is described in the document 'INNOV2005 Sampling_b.pdf'.