President Cyril Ramaphosa hosted the inaugural Presidential Plenary on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) on 12 December 2023. The STI Plenary brought together leaders in government, industry, academia and civil society. Discussions focused on the progress of the National System of Innovation (NSI) and challenges in this sector and explored ways for STI and skills development to impact positively on the South African economy.
The STI Plenary was preceded by several Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) meetings since March 2021 on STI attended by, among others, line-function government departments and the relevant clusters. These meetings informed the STI agenda for the year and took place against the backdrop of the STI Decadal Plan adopted by the cabinet in November 2022.
“The STI Plenary was preceded by several Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) meetings since March 2021 on STI attended by, among others, line-function government departments and the relevant clusters. These meetings informed the STI agenda for the year and took place against the backdrop of the STI Decadal Plan adopted by the cabinet in November 2022.”
The plan guides the first 10 years of implementing the 2019 White Paper on STI. However, it is the new White Paper of 2019 that introduced the concept of an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on STI and a Presidential STI Plenary as instruments to enhance STI policy coherence, as well as programme and budget co-ordination in the South African national system of innovation.
Societal grand challenges
The IMC endorsed the selection of three societal grand challenges where greater science, technology and innovation are urgently required. The three societal grand challenges focus on the Future of Education, Skills and Work, Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability, and the Future of Society. Core to the implementation of the SGC’s is the need for STI efforts to be guided by user needs. Engagements are now underway between the DSI and other government departments and stakeholders to finalise the STI priorities that will be pursued over the next decade.
Leading through evidence-based decision-making
National Policy Data Observatory (NPDO)
The DSI, in partnership with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Statistics South Africa, the South African Revenue Service and the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, established the National Policy Data Observatory (NPDO), which used data to provide scientific analysis that informed government-wide economic recovery interventions during Covid-19 and will continue to do so.
The NPDO provides South Africa with future capability to track the socio-economic and health impacts of pandemics to support rapid and effective policy responses and support decision-making to protect our citizens. This capability was vividly demonstrated by the enterprising work of the NPDO in modelling work on the impact of floods in KwaZulu-Natal and the energy crisis.
“The NPDO provides South Africa with future capability to track the socio-economic and health impacts of pandemics to support rapid and effective policy responses and support decision-making to protect our citizens. This capability was vividly demonstrated by the enterprising work of the NPDO in modelling work on the impact of floods in KwaZulu-Natal and the energy crisis.”
Hydrogen Society Roadmap
As part of our efforts to unlock new energy sources and facilitate a just transition from a carbon-intensive to a carbon-neutral economy, DSI launched the Hydrogen Society Roadmap in February 2022. The Hydrogen Valley Programme was registered with Infrastructure South Africa under Strategic Integrated Projects in December 2022.
The circular economy approach offers numerous opportunities for socio-economic growth and environmental protection. This has influenced several technologies, innovations and improved processes in the modernisation of agriculture, mining and manufacturing.
Deployment of Innovation Fund
The Innovation Fund catalyses the creation and sustained growth of the high-tech small media enterprise (SME) sector, by de-risking early-stage SME creation to generate sustainable pipeline opportunities of viable and investable high-tech enterprises for later-stage investments by the private sector.
The Innovation Fund is structured to drive public-private co-investment in innovative high-tech SMEs. The Innovation Fund model leverages the investment expertise of institutions such Technology Innovation Agency, the SA-SMME Fund and the Public Investment Co-operation, which in turn, drive the syndication of investment with various Venture Capital (VC) Fund management entities. In the 24 months after piloting, the Innovation Fund has already achieved significant success, in leveraging R6 from the private sector, for every R1 investment by the government, in roughly 60% of the completed investment deals to date and a total of seventy-five (75) investment deals completed, with the majority (64%) of these deals supporting investment in publicly financed Intellectual Property portfolios.
Using STI infrastructure to drive global competitiveness, attract foreign direct investment and create jobs
Square Kilometre Array (SKA)
The SKA has already contributed towards building a capable state and growing SMMEs to transform local economies. The 64-antenna MeerKAT telescope, completed in 2018, continues to produce excellent science. Over 200 scientific papers recording major discoveries using this instrument have been published to date. The scientific success of MeerKAT has attracted additional international investment to expand the instrument by 13 antennas.
Meeting the minimum BEE requirements
South Africa became one of the founding members of the SKA Observatory in 2019. Construction for phase 1 of the SKA mid-frequency array commenced in July 2021 after almost a decade of detailed and in-depth design work. The combined value of the contracts awarded to date is about R3,2 billion. All companies that have been awarded contracts have met the minimum BEE requirements.
Creation of thousands of direct job opportunities
Benefits to South Africa from this scientific infrastructure megaproject include access to shared technical, scientific and policy knowledge and industry experience, the creation of thousands of direct job opportunities. This is a direct increase in GDP of R3,4 billion, and the award of 1 600 grants to students for artisanal training, and for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in astronomy, data science and engineering, as well as to postdoctoral researchers and research chairs.
Developing data-driven, innovation and the digital economy
As the SKA will generate, store and process huge amounts of data from the telescope to the user community across the world, data science skills and software engineers are being trained to handle big data. This will contribute to other key DSI initiatives aimed at the development of data-driven science, innovation and the digital economy, including the National Integrated Cyberinfrastructure System and Foundational Digital Capabilities Research Programme.
Memoranda of agreement have been signed with the South African Police Service, the Departments of Transport and Defence, and the Independent Communication Authority of South Africa (ICASA) to regulate the radio frequency environment and facilitate the continued co-existence of the SKA and Southern African Large Telescope with other installations and projects in the Northern Cape.
The Astronomy Management Authority is working closely with the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies and ICASA, as well as international partners to find ways of minimising radio interference from low earth orbit satellite constellations on the telescopes.
Space Science and Technology
The South African National Space Agency (SANSA), an entity of DSI, continues to develop South Africa’s space capabilities. DSI provided financial support to SANSA for the construction of a 24/7 operational space weather centre in Hermanus, launched in November last year.
To date, SANSA has trained a new cohort of young, black space weather forecasters who will provide services to various clients, including the aviation sector.
The benefits of a South African space weather programme include, inter alia, having better modelling tools for predicting the impact of space weather on energy and telecommunications grids and satellite services such as global positioning systems (GPS), together with the secondary and tertiary functions it supports in our economy and society. In an age defined by massive transformations fuelled by rapid technological shifts, rising climate and biodiversity pressures, deep global economic changes and the spectre of deepening social inequalities, the development and optimal employment of science, technology and innovation are indispensable for promoting an inclusive, more equal and sustainable society. In November 2018, South Africa, through the South African National Space Agency (SANSA), was designated a regional centre for the provision of space weather information to the international aviation sector by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). In 2020, the DSI supported the construction of a 24/7 Space Weather Centre to enable SANSA to fulfil its ICAO obligations. The centre was officially launched on 3 November 2023 by Minister Nzimande.
“In an age defined by massive transformations fuelled by rapid technological shifts, rising climate and biodiversity pressures, deep global economic changes and the spectre of deepening social inequalities, the development and optimal employment of science, technology and innovation are indispensable for promoting an inclusive, more equal and sustainable society.”
Launch capability
The DSI has been supporting the development of domestic rocket engine technologies since 2010 towards the creation of launch capability for South Africa and Africa. The support is also aligned with the strategic goal of space industry development to encourage R&D, human capital development, local private sector development and advanced manufacturing.
The Aerospace Systems Research Institute at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) received funding and spearheaded the development of rocket engine technologies in both liquid and solid rockets. Between 13 and 17 March 2023, UKZN tested the Phoenix 1C and Phoenix 1D hybrid demonstrator rockets, achieving objectives related to test recovery, avionics and telemetry systems in flight.
Deep space explorations
Furthermore, the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) launched a ground station aimed at deep space explorations in Matjiesfontein, Western Cape, about 240km north-east of Cape Town, in collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and DSI. Matjiesfontein Deep Space Ground Stations is an extension of SANSA’s space operations aimed at supporting global missions to the moon, Mars and beyond.
This facility is unique due to its location and the weather patterns, and is well located near fibre, power, harbour and industry. The establishment of this new satellite ground station facility will be for the use of international deep space tracking and local use for the tracking of CubeSats and scientific research. The sod turning of the site was done by the Director-General, Dr Phil Mjwara on 08 November 2022.
The Matjiesfontein facility has achieved significant milestones and promising progress on the horizon. The appointments of service providers have been finalized through an open tender system, ensuring transparency and efficiency in the selection process. This crucial step will pave the way for the detailed planning and execution of the facility’s infrastructure and technical specifications.
STI in support of inclusive health innovation: Contributing towards a capable state through vaccine manufacturing
Currently, only 1% of vaccines used in Africa are manufactured in Africa. The African Union aims to change this to 60% by 2040. Through the implementation of catalytic projects under the Vaccine Innovation and Manufacturing Strategy (VIMS), South Africa has established technology transfer partnerships with global companies to facilitate the manufacture of vaccines on the Department of Health priority list. This will reduce the cost of vaccines and boost the country’s manufacturing sector, support the growth of small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) in the biotechnology sector and create jobs. More importantly, vaccine manufacturing will ensure that South Africa is better prepared for future pandemics and has security of supply.
“Through the implementation of catalytic projects under the Vaccine Innovation and Manufacturing Strategy (VIMS), South Africa has established technology transfer partnerships with global companies to facilitate the manufacture of vaccines on the Department of Health priority list.”
mRNA
In the period under review, DSI continued supporting the development of a local mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub by a consortium made up of the DSI, the Medicines Patent Pool, Biovac, Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines, the South African Medical Research Council, a network of universities and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The purpose of the hub is to diversify vaccine manufacturing and accelerate vaccine production in Africa and it is supported by World Health Organisation.
Space Science and Technology
Space Science and Technology continues to make headway in developing infrastructure and a space value chain for a viable space programme, that delivers products and services that not only respond to the South Africa user needs but the rest of Africa. For this administration, 3 milestones have been reached. These are:
Space Weather
In November 2018, South Africa, through the South African National Space Agency (SANSA), received a designation by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as a Regional Centre for the provision of space weather information to the international aviation sector. In 2020, the DSI supported SANSA to construct a 24/7 Space Weather Centre to meet the obligations of ICAO.
The Space Weather Centre was officially launched on 03 November 2023 by the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande. The facility, operated by SANSA, which is an entity of the DSI, is providing space weather warnings and bulletins to the global industry.
Hybrid Rocket Engine
The successful test campaigns of hybrid rocket engine were developed by University of Kwa-Zulu Natal. The DSI has been supporting the development of domestic rocket engine technologies since 2010, an initiative that is envisaged create the only launch capability for South Africa and Africa. The support is also aligned to the strategic goal of space industry development to encourage R&D, human capital development, local private sector development, and advanced manufacturing.
The Aerospace Systems Research Group at the University of KwaZulu-Natal received funding and spearheaded the development of rocket engine technologies in both liquid and solid rockets. On 13 -17 March 2023 UKZN tested Phoenix – IC and Phoenix 1D hybrid demonstrator rockets. One of the main objectives of test was to be test recovery, avionics and telemetry systems in flight.
Deep Space Network (Matjiesfontein)
SANSA is in the process of establishing a ground station facility in Matjiesfontein which is in the Central Karroo District in the Western Cape, about 240 km north-east of Cape Town. This facility is unique due to its location and the weather patterns, and is well located near fibre, power, harbour and industry. The establishment of this new satellite ground station facility will be for the use of international deep space tracking and local use for the tracking of CubeSats and scientific research. The sod turning of the site was done by the Director-General, Dr Phil Mjwara on 08 November 2022. SANSA deep space facility in Matjiesfontein has achieved significant milestones and promising progress on the horizon.
The appointments of service providers have been finalized through an open tender system, ensuring transparency and efficiency in the selection process. This crucial step will pave the way for the detailed planning and execution of the facility’s infrastructure and technical specifications.
