The first South African Public Relationship with Science (SAPRS) Survey, which is also the first of its kind, marks a turning point in the history of our science engagement programme. The report’s release coincides with the 30th anniversary of democracy in our nation, and the 2022 SAPRS takes us back to the early days, when the programme to raise public awareness of science started under the auspices of the 1996 White Paper on Science and Technology.