In 2001, EIFL helped to create the South African National Library and Information Consortium (SANLiC), which licenses e-resources to libraries in higher education and national research institutions in South Africa. From 2004 - 2015, EIFL partnered with SANLiC to provide access to a wide range of scholarly e-resources. Libraries in South Africa also benefited from EIFL programmes on open access, copyright and innovation in public libraries.

EIFL supported the first open access conference in South Africa in 2004, which was co-hosted by EIFL, Open Society Institute (OSI) and SANLiC. We also supported the first institutional repository workshop in 2005.

In 2011, EIFL supported Masiphumelele Public Library, located in an impoverished informal settlement near Cape Town, to address community unemployment issues by introducing innovative new library services for youth.

Through the project, the Right to Research in International Copyright Law, EIFL engages in copyright reform in partnership with local advocates in South Africa. As a result, the Copyright Amendment Bill [B13D - 2017] contains provisions that support education and research in the digital age and, if adopted, will enable libraries to preserve South African creative expression for future generations. The Bill also includes provisions implementing the Marrakesh Treaty for persons with print disabilities.