Speaker
Description
The National Policy Data Observatory (NPDO) is a government-led initiative housed at the CSIR to strengthen evidence-based policymaking through advanced data analytics and national cyber-infrastructure. Established during the Covid-19 pandemic, the NPDO has expanded into a multidisciplinary hub delivering insights on socio-economic trends, mobility, disaster management, energy use, sentiment analysis and development indicators. Its growing portfolio now supports emerging priorities such as crime prediction, water quality monitoring, digital census innovation and service-delivery improvement. Through strategic collaborations across government and research partners, the NPDO is becoming a central platform for integrated, data-driven decision support in South Africa.
