A showcase of science, technology and innovation in South Africa
Cape Town’s Iziko Museum formed the backdrop for the Department of Science and Technology’s 2018 Budget Vote exhibition showcasing the Department’s latest scientific innovations.
This year’s Budget Vote was held under the theme, “Advancing the legacy of Mama Albertina Sisulu through people-centred science and technology”. Government has declared this year the centenary of two struggle icons, former President Nelson Mandela and Mama Albertina Sisulu, in celebration of their contributions to democracy, freedom and equality for all South Africans.
The Minister of Science and Technology, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, delivered her first Budget Vote speech last Wednesday, tabling a R7,8 billion budget.
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) will invest hundreds of millions of rands on programmes to boost the number of knowledge workers in South Africa, stimulate economic growth, improve energy security and promote the country as a research and development destination.
The 2018/19 budget was presented as the Department finalises a new White Paper on Science, Technology and Innovation. The premise of the new White Paper is that science, technology and innovation are central to inclusive and sustainable development for shaping a different South Africa. The White Paper recognises that inclusivity is central to the national system of innovation, both in terms of promoting social justice and of fostering a system in which creativity and learning can flourish.
The Department’s budget vote was preceded by several activities to showcase its work, including an eye-catching exhibition.
More than 12 exhibits were displayed in the Iziko Museum’s Whale Well, which houses a unique collection of whale casts and skeletons, including a 20-metre blue whale skeleton. The setting was ideal for the DST’s exhibition.
Exhibitors included DST entities such as the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the National Research Foundation, the South African Space Agency and the Human Sciences Research Council.
Visitors were enlightened on the construction of the world’s largest radio telescope, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), the development of hydrogen as an alternative energy source, and an initiative to establish vaccine manufacturing capacity in the country, among others.
The exhibits demonstrated how science, technology and innovation are contributing to South Africa’s development, and showcased the value of science in daily life.
An exciting initiative which makes innovative use of recycled waste attracted huge attention. Start-up company AgriProtein showed how they are harnessing recycling technology to convert insect-based organic waste into protein for commercial use in the animal feed industry.
AgriProtein recycles more than 8 billion flies to produce 250 tonnes of waste a day, boosting larvae production to 50 tonnes a day. The commercial facility, funded by the Department through the TIA, is the first of its kind in the world.
Alongside AgriProtein was a display from Beedale, a company that has developed a new hive platform to meet the demands of the modern beekeeper. The smartHIVE incorporates a variety of functions that are integral to daily beekeeping operations, including a solar power supply input, battery condition and hive temperature monitoring, and GSM-based backhaul communications.
According to Beedale Director Nicky Worthmann, “Beedale integrates with your environment to ensure optimum visibility regarding the health of your hives, as well as their yield”. Worthmann was delighted with the exposure the exhibition provided, and encouraged more people to visit it next year.
Another installation featured the Mandela Mining Precinct, a joint initiative by government, industry and academia that is working to revive South Africa’s mining industry. On display were some of the pioneering technologies being deployed at the new facility in Carlow Road, Johannesburg.
Partners involved in the Mandela Mining Precinct include the Chamber of Mines, the DST through the CSIR, the Departments of Mineral Resources and Trade and Industry, and the universities of Wits, Johannesburg and Pretoria.
One of the companies hosted at the Precinct is SiMINE, a start-up that specialises in physical mining simulation. SiMINE aims to pull together all the complex elements and interconnected activities of next-generation mining using technologies such as augmented reality, digital twinning and data dashboarding.
Antony Mello, a young scientist working as a consultant at SiMINE, was excited to be part of the DST Budget Vote. “For us as a company, we are trying to showcase to as many people as possible what we are about and the future of mining.”
Mello explained that they will be using their expertise to expose young learners and university students to mining, to get them excited about the opportunities within the industry.
Products pioneered by hydrogen fuel cell technology were also on show at the exhibition. Last month, the Department launched a 3 kW hydrogen fuel cell system at Poelano Secondary, a disadvantaged school on the farm Goedgevonden in Ventersdorp, North West. The DST invested R10 million in the project to provide the school with an alternative clean energy source.
In presenting the Department’s Budget Vote speech, Minister Kubayi-Ngubane highlighted that science, technology and innovation have the potential to make a far greater impact in our country than they currently do.
“They should play an instrumental role in improving public service delivery, informing official decision-making, increasing the competitiveness of existing firms and supporting new technology-based firms, modernising industries such as agriculture and mining while developing emerging industries, and through all of this, improving the quality of life of our people,” the Minister said.