Africa's Scientific Renaissance: A Vision for Sustainability

Statement from the Future Earth Africa Hub Leadership Centre’s Consortium at the G20

Africa’s Scientific Renaissance – A vision for sustainability

The National Research Foundation (NRF), in its capacity as the secretariat of the Future Earth Africa Hub in collaboration with its Future Earth Africa Hub Leadership Centre (FEAHLC), shares a bold scientific and regenerative vision of a continent continuing to rise and lead in sustainability, scientific leadership, community resilience, and solidarity. Africa, long viewed as a place of lack, has a cadre dedicated to rewriting the narratives and demonstrating the role that Africa can and does play in sustainability. The transformation of sustainability science leadership for community resilience is driven by the Future Earth Africa Hub and its Leadership Centre, which is co-hosted by Rhodes University and the University of Pretoria in South Africa, and with regional nodes and scientific cluster affiliates across the continent.

The Leadership Centre represents an African voice that helps to collectively reshape the narratives about Africa, as it positions the continent as a leader in sustainability sciences. It connects networks across the continent; cultivates excellent research capacity and scientific development; and builds pathways for inclusive and aligned collective efforts.

The Seven Science Clusters at the Centre of the Drive in Africa’s Strategic Response to Global Crises

To advance this mission, the Africa Hub has launched seven pilot Sustainability Science Clusters. Each one brings together academic and non-academic actors, practitioners, disciplines, regions, and diverse demographic groups, including women and the youth.

●     African Youth Futures: Transgressive Social Learning and Regenerative Sustainability Education Cluster

The Cluster focuses on transgressive social learning and regenerative sustainability education, aiming to centre African youth in shaping sustainable futures through slow scholarship, youth engagement, and collaborative research.

Why is it important in Africa and globally?

It builds transformative platforms for youth-led sustainability and contributes to policy systems, education reform, and regenerative futures across Africa and beyond.

Where is it located?

Activities are coordinated across Africa, with key engagements in South Africa, e.g. in the Eastern Cape and Rhodes University.

How does it function?

Through dialogues, partnerships, publications, conferences, policy engagement, and capacity-building workshops, co-designed with youth networks and institutions.

Who to contact?

Professor Heila Lotz-Sisitka, Distinguished Professor and SARChI Chair in Global Change and Social Learning Systems and Environmental Learning Research Centre (ELRC), Rhodes University, South Africa.

Email: h.lotz-sisitka@ru.ac.za

●     Land and Investments Cluster

A Future Earth Africa initiative focused on land management, investment, and sustainability. It aims to build networks, foster collaboration, conduct research, and support policy engagement and capacity development on issues related to land and investments in Africa.

Why is it important in Africa and globally?

It addresses land management challenges affecting marginalised communities; contributes to regional and global sustainability platforms; and promotes cross-regional learning and scholarly collaboration.

Where is it located?

Activities are coordinated across Africa, with key engagements in South Africa, e.g. in the Eastern Cape and Rhodes University.

How does it function?

Through stakeholder engagement, workshops, field visits, research collaborations, communication platforms (MS Teams, WhatsApp, email), MoUs for fund allocation, and contributions to academic journals.

Who to contact?

Professor Cyril Nhlanhla Mbatha, Director, Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER), Rhodes University; former acting Executive Dean and CEO, UNISA School of Business Leadership and Founding Director of YALI -SADC (President Obama’s Flagship project for young Africans), Rhodes University, South Africa.

Email: c.mbatha@ru.ac.za

●     Politics of Sustainability

This science cluster explores how power, history, and regional dynamics shape sustainability in Africa. It aims to develop a conceptual framework for engaging with the politics of sustainability and to foster inclusive, cross-regional dialogue and research.

Why is it important in Africa and globally?

It addresses a critical gap by surfacing issues of power, politics, and their consequences in sustainability discourses and practices, contributing to global dialogues on equity and justice while supporting emerging scholars and cross-border collaborations.

Where is it located?

Activities are distributed across Africa, with key institutional support from the University of Pretoria and the University of Cape Town.

How does it function?

Through seminars, roundtables, publications, international conference participation, research partnerships, and capacity-building for doctoral students. It also mobilises funding to sustain its work.

Who to contact?

Professor Maano Ramutsindela, UP–UCT Future Africa Research Chair in Sustainability Transformations, University of Pretoria; Extraordinary Professor, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Cape Town; Professor of Human Geography, Department of Environmental & Geographical Science.

Email:maano.ramutsindela@uct.ac.za

●     Transformative Leadership for Climate Engagement: Activating Emerging Researchers for Change

A collaborative platform focused on climate science, adaptation, and empowering young African researchers to lead context-informed climate action.

Why is it important in Africa and globally?

It builds capacity among emerging scientists; fosters youth-led sustainability leadership; and contributes to climate adaptation strategies relevant to African contexts and global resilience efforts.

Where is it located?

Activities span multiple African countries, with key engagements at the Global Change Institute (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg) and partner institutions in Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia.

How does it function?

Through workshops, training programs, youth-led meetings, research projects, and partnerships with universities and regional initiatives. It also engages in policy dialogue and funding mobilisation.

Who to contact?

Professor Coleen Vogel, Distinguished Professor, Global Change Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Email: Coleen.Vogel@wits.ac.za

Dr Memory Reid, Global Change Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Email: memory.reid@wits.ac.za

●     Transformative Research for Healthy Ecosystems and Sustainable Communities in Africa

The cluster addresses socio-ecological challenges—especially household solid waste dumping—through youth mobilisation, community engagement, and eco-entrepreneurship to promote sustainable living and healthy ecosystems.

Why is it important in Africa and globally?

It tackles urgent environmental issues, builds local capacity, fosters youth-led innovation, and contributes to global sustainability dialogues and policy development.

Where is it located?

Activities are centred in South Africa, e.g. University of Limpopo, with partnerships in Kenya (Kisii University) and Ghana, and international engagement in Finland and Cape Town.

How does it function?

Through student chapters, clean-up campaigns, workshops, webinars, science festivals, public lectures, policy dialogues, and collaborative research. It also mobilises funding and builds recycling infrastructure.

Who to contact?

Professor Wilmien Luus-Powell, DSTI–NRF SARChI Chair in Ecosystem Health, Department of Biodiversity, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa.

Email: wilmien.powell@ul.ac.za

●     Degrowth and Climate Justice: Intersection of Theory, Practice, and Activism

The cluster explores the intersection of degrowth theory, climate justice, and activism, aiming to build a collaborative network for sustainability research and advocacy across Africa.

Why is it important in Africa and globally?

It addresses critical issues, including climate change, biodiversity, and land-use, through inclusive research and engagement with non-state actors, contributing to global sustainability and justice movements.

Where is it located?

Activities span Southern Africa, e.g. Bulawayo, Zimbabwe; East Africa, e.g. Nairobi, Kenya; and planned engagements in Ghana. Members also include researchers from Tanzania and Botswana.

How does it function?

Through regional workshops, academic publications, conference presentations, and partnerships with non-state actors, academic institutions, and policymakers.

Who to contact?

Professor Philani Moyo, Director, Fort Hare Institute for Social and Economic Research (FHISER) and Professor of Development Sociology, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Fort Hare. South Africa

Email: PMoyo@ufh.ac.za

• Sustainable and Equitable African Water Futures

A collaborative initiative focused on addressing Africa’s water challenges through research, innovation, capacity building, and strategic communication. It aims to strengthen water resources and water services management across the continent.

Why is it important in Africa and globally?

It tackles complex water-related challenges that affect society and ecosystems, while it contributes to global water science and policy through joint research, training, and international engagements.

Where is it located?

Activities span multiple regions, with key engagements in Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Algeria, and Senegal. It also has international partners in Europe and the USA.

How does it function?

Through collaborative research projects, workshops, strategic partnerships, research publications, capacity-building programs, and science-policy-society engagements. It also collaborates with the Water Future Programme and the African Water Resources Mobility Network (AWaRMN).

Who to contact?

Prof Oghenekaro Nelson Odume, Director, Institute for Water Research (IWR), Rhodes University, South Africa.

Email: n.odume@ru.ac.za

Together, these pilot clusters form the foundation for an African-led scientific architecture for sustainability sciences.

A Call to Action for Partnerships and Investments to Co-Create with Africa

Sustainability sciences leaders in Africa stand ready to partner with global leaders to elevate the African science agenda, innovation, and voices in ways that move the continent towards sustainability and equity. We call on global leaders to elevate the African science agenda; raise African voices in negotiations on sustainability, including adverse climate change challenges; inclusive economic growth; and innovations. Let us co-create and promote African solutions that are globally relevant.

The Future Earth Africa Hub and its Leadership Centre, through these science clusters, are prepared to co-create a shared future. As Africa leads through vision and collaboration, the world gains new pathways to peace, prosperity, and planetary balance.

This document was signed by affiliated authors from the Future Earth Africa Hub and Leadership Centre.

Authors and Affiliation

• Prof. Nhlanhla Mbatha, Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER), Rhodes University
• Prof. Coleen Vogel, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
• Prof. Nelson Odume, Institute for Water Research (IWR), Rhodes University, South Africa
• Prof. Heila Lotz-Sisitka, Global Change and Social Learning Systems and Environmental Learning Research Centre (ELRC), Rhodes University, South Africa
• Prof. Wilmien Powell,DSTI–NRF SARChI Chair in Ecosystem Health
• Department of Biodiversity,University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa
• Prof. Maano Ramutsindela,UP–UCT Future Africa Research Chair in Sustainability Transformations
• University of Pretoria – Extraordinary Professor, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences
• University of Cape Town – Professor of Human Geography, Department of Environmental & Geographical Science
• Prof. Philani Moyo, Fort Hare Institute for Social and Economic Research (FHISER) and Professor of Development Sociology, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
• University of Fort Hare, South Africa
• Dr Memory Reid,University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa