Abstract:
I have now been awarded virtually every NRF (National Research Foundation) rating reasonably available. Many years ago at the start of my academic life I received a 'Y' label; I have recently been awarded an 'A' rating. My most recent rating came as a pleasant but unexpected surprise, motivating me to think, more deeply than might otherwise have been the case, about NRF ratings. More particularly, I thought about what an NRF rating means, not only to me personally, but also to the research community of South Africa.