RLC - research landscape claim

Been thinking... the scope of research being conducted in South Africa is quite amazing. Feel kind of proud. Never quite realised that such amazing research was being conducted on our doorstep. Also feel kind of sad that this whole amazing research landscape seems sort of'artificial and manipulated when represented by statistics (or is it just me?).
How cool is it that one researcher is beaming about MEERKAT and another one is moaning about the lack of cellphone reception in Fraserburg! - reflect that statistically....
Anyhow, for us as librarians, if this experience and exposure do not drive us to stake our claim (and we do have one) in this landscape of research, I don't know what will.
Mimi