Raphael Malcolm Kaplinsky (born 31 December 1946)[1][2] is an Honorary Professor at the Science Policy Research Unit and an Emeritus Professorial Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex.

Kaplinsky was not allowed to return to his country of birth until Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990, after which he played an active role in policy development at the national and regional levels.

He spent the bulk of his professional career at the University of Sussex where he led research programmes on industrial and technology policy and on Global value chain.

He led and participated in a number of Advisory Missions to governments in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe.

As a student Kaplinsky took part in Cape Town University's Mafeje affair protests which resulted in him having to flee South Africa to the United Kingdom in the 1960s.