Our Story

Applied Development Research Solutions (ADRS) was founded as South Africa’s new democracy embarked on economic, political and government transformation based on a new set of inclusive ideals. It was a time of incredible excitement and energy, ripe with optimism for the new dispensation and many ideas about how to right the economic wrongs of the past. Yet, it quickly became apparent that many well-meaning ideas had negative unintended consequences.

ADRS was created to provide critical foresight through innovative economic modeling tools to better inform economic policymaking. We have always been driven by the belief that intelligent policy design is a prerequisite to better and more sustainable economic development. We share these tools throughout Africa and beyond, in order to contribute to the economic well-being of people throughout the continent and the developing world.