Reports from projects aiming to strengthen the quality and sustainability of African no-fee open access (OA) publishing are starting to come in, and we take pleasure in sharing results from projects that have enhanced two journals in South Africa.

The two South African projects were among 17 projects in nine countries that were awarded grants in 2024 through the three-year project, ‘Collaboration for Sustainable Open Access Publishing in Africa', funded by Welcome. The grants specifically target no-fee OA (also known as Diamond OA) journals and journal platforms. Diamond OA means that the journals do not charge any fees for publishing or reading articles. 

South African Journal of Science

The South African Journal of Science is a bi-monthly Diamond OA journal that publishes high-quality, original, multidisciplinary research from Africa or on African-relevant issues for scholars, educators, the general public and policymakers. It is published by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), and in 2024 the journal celebrated its 120th anniversary. 

The grant has helped the South African Journal of Science to develop more efficient peer reviewer selection and recognition processes, and has expanded the journal’s reviewer database among other enhancements. Read more about new developments at the South African Journal of Science and lessons learned through the project. 

Image & Text

Published by the School of the Arts at the University of Pretoria, Image & Text is a Diamond OA multi- and interdisciplinary journal focusing on research in visual culture. The journal emphasises perspectives from the Global South and attracts local and global authors. 

The grant has helped to streamline the journal’s workflows, to secure its future sustainability and to enhance its accessibility and visibility. Read about new developments at Image & Text and lessons learnt through the project.

We look forward to sharing more project results as the reports come in. 

The ‘Collaboration for Sustainable Open Access Publishing in Africa' project is implemented by EIFL, AJOL (African Journals Online) and WACREN (the West and Central African Research and Education Network), with funding from Wellcome.