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Remembering David Kaplan

Remembering David Kaplan

Tribute to David Kaplan

David Kaplan passed away at the end of 2025. He was a long-standing TIPS Research Fellow, a collaborator on research, a colleague and a friend. He will be missed.
 
Dave was the Professor of Business Government Relations and Professor of Economics at the University of Cape Town. He worked extensively on industrial policy. From 2002 – 2003 he was chief economist of the Department of Trade and Industry; from 2004 – 2011 he worked part time as chief economist for the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, in the Western Cape Provincial Government.

His work included a focus on innovation and industrial policy. He was the coordinator of the task team that produced the Green Paper on Science and Technology (S&T); he worked on the White Paper on S&T; was a panel member for two Five Year Reviews of the CSIR; and a member of the National Advisory Council on Innovation, 1998 – 2004. He also provided input into the Ministerial Committee on Science and Technology (2011- –2012) and was a member of the board of the Technology Innovation Agency.

He undertook work for the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation; and Business Leadership South Africa. He has also co- published, with Mike Morris and Raphie Kaplinsky, a book on commodities and industrialisation in Africa: One Thing Leads to Another. Promoting Industrialisation by Making the Most of the Commodity Boom in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

His latest paper with TIPS was published in April 2024 on "Growing the start-up economy in South Africa: Accelerating local and foreign investment". This was the outcome of a workshop he organised at the end of 2023. He was from time to time a speaker at the TIPS annual forum, provided inputs to TIPS researchers and mentorship to younger colleagues. 

Professor Kaplan had a BA BComm (UCT), MA (Kent) and DPhil (Sussex).

David Kaplan Mermorial Website: https://www.online-tribute.com/DavidKaplan