NRF Showcases African Science Leadership at G20

The National Research Foundation (NRF) actively took part in the second G20 Research and Innovation Working Group (RIWG) Meeting, hosted by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) in partnership with the University of Mpumalanga (UMP) at UMP’s Mbombela Campus from 25 – 28 May 2025.

The three-day event convened diplomats, scientists, global research and policy makers from G20 and African states under the theme Harnessing Global Solidarity for the Implementation of Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA 2034). STISA-2034 was adopted by the African Union to drive the continent’s socio-economic transformation through science, technology and innovation (STI). The strategy envisions an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful Africa where science and innovation are foundational to sustainable development.

G20 and African Priorities

DSTI Minister, Prof Blade Nzimande delivered the keynote address on the first day of the event to set the tone for what was undoubtedly going to be robust discussions on fostering collaboration in, particularly in support of sustainable development. With the day coinciding with Africa Day, Minister Nzimande said Africa’s development hinges on its ability to harness STI as instruments of transformation.

He emphasised the strategic importance of G20 Presidency, particularly because it is the first time that an African country was assigned the role of G20 President. “Even though this role has been assigned to South Africa, we view our G20 Presidency as an African Presidency. We view our G20 Presidency as an opportunity to, among others, strengthen our commitment to elevate African priorities such as STI financing, global health innovation, climate technologies, digital inclusion, and the development of a sovereign African development agenda.”

“With the support of our partners on the continent, we aim to use our role as G20 President to amplify Africa’s voice in shaping global science agendas, fair intellectual property regimes, as well as technology transfer mechanisms,” he added.

AI and the SKA

Adding to the strategic discourse, Ms Pontsho Maruping, Managing Director of the NRF’s South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRF-SARAO), joined a panel examining The Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Supporting STISA 2034 Implementation. The panel explored how emerging technologies, particularly AI, can be leveraged to accelerate scientific discovery, improve public services, and support data-driven policymaking across the continent.

Ms Maruping said “AI will be critical in the management and analysis of the average of eight terabits per second of data transferred over hundreds of kilometres from the SKA-Low telescope in the Murchison outback in Australia to the processing facility in Perth. For the SKA-Mid telescope in South Africa, the design is similar, but the data rates are higher, with the transfer rate from the telescope in the Karoo desert to the processing facility in Cape Town at around 20 terabits per second”.

Africa’s Science and Innovation Future

In a session focused on Africa’s science and innovation future, Dr Thandi Mgwebi, NRF Group Executive for Business Advancement, moderated a high-level panel discussion entitled Strategic Partnerships and Funding Opportunities for STISA 2034 Implementation.

Noted Dr Mgwebi, “Innovative funding models and robust international partnerships are important to deliver on STISA-2034’s ambitions as there is a critical need to develop mechanisms that enable private sector investment in STI. It is imperative that we have the much-needed conversation on the establishment of a research development fund, which would reduce the over-reliance on foreign funding.”

Data and Data Systems for Crisis Management

Dr. Tshiamo Motshegwa, Director of the African Open Science Platform hosted at the NRF, presented on the planned landscape survey analysis that will be implemented as part of the Disaster Risk Reduction team. The survey on data and data systems for crisis management would provide a core component for the landscape analysis. The survey findingswill be key inputs to the G20 Hackathon, helping to ensure that the co-designed solutions respond to real-world needs, promote equitable data access, and support innovation ecosystems that are inclusive, resilient, and aligned with open science principles. The online stakeholder meeting for G20 countries that are responsible for Disaster Risk Reduction, led by the South African Environmental Observation Network (NRF-SAEON), a business unit of the NRF, was also presented in this session.

Connecting Inland Communities with the Ocean

Beyond high-level policy discussions, the DSTI and NRF-SAEON implemented an outreach activity with inland communities in Mbombela as a side event for Ocean20 from 26 – 27 May at the SANBI Lowveld Botanical Garden. The session was themed How do Inland Communities Connect to the Ocean? provided an opportunity for inland communities to share their connections to rivers and how this connects to the ocean, how the ocean influences inland communities, and opportunities in the Blue Economy.

On the first day of the of the community outreach, Minister Nzdimande, gave a keynote address that highlighted the role of NRF-SAEON’s Elwandle and Egagasini Nodes; Shallow Marine and Coastal Research Infrastructure; and South African Polar Research Infrastructure that contribute to world class research and innovation in marine sciences.

The Deputy Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Dr. Nomalungelo Gina, facilitated the question-and-answer session with communities on 26 May. This engaging and dynamic session enabled communities to share their thoughts on how their local environment can be managed better if the different spheres of Government worked together.

Dr. Mary-Jane Bopape, Managing Director of NRF-SAEON, highlighted the vital role the ocean plays in regulating our climate. “Communities need to recognise their responsibility in preserving the planet as part of Ocean20. By participating in discussions in Oceans20, we can get inland communities involved in ocean conversations.” Speaker after speaker highlighted the one important message—although we live far from the coast, our lives are intertwined with the oceans.

The G20 RIWG meeting not only reinforced South Africa’s leadership in global science diplomacy but also highlighted the NRF’s multidimensional contributions, from high-level strategy to community impact. Through its programmes and people, the NRF continues to champion inclusive, transformative science that shapes a better future for Africa and the world.