Media advisory

The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, will launch Africa’s new science diplomacy initiative, in Pretoria on Friday 8 July 2022.

The Science Diplomacy Capital for Africa (SDCfA), initiated by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and hosted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) seeks to promote science collaboration across Africa and beyond, towards leveraging and connecting technology innovation with humanity.

Minister Nzimande said the SDCfA would create a platform to encourage cooperation between the large diplomatic community hosted in Pretoria and the many leading research and technology organisations hosted in the City of Tshwane. 

“The initiative will notably achieve this through promoting South African and other African countries’ science and technology capabilities, which could be harnessed to respond to global challenges,” said Minister Nzimande.

The Minister said this could be through enabling networking between the Pretoria diplomatic community and leading institutions of South Africa’s national system of innovation; and by offering advisory and support services to enable cooperation. 

SDCfA will also profile the capabilities within South Africa’s National System of Innovation for cooperation with African and other international partners.

Speakers at the event will include the President of the African Academy of Sciences, Professor Felix Dapare Dakora, City of Tshwane Speaker of Council, Dr Murunwa Makwarela, CSIR CEO, Dr Thulani Dlamini, Head of Policy at the Black Business Council, Tilson Manyoni, and the British High Commissioner to South Africa, Mr Anthony John Phillipson.

The media is invited as follows:

Date: Friday, 08 July 2022

Time: 09h00 – 12h30

Venue: CSIR ICC, Meiring Naude Road, Brummeria, Pretoria

RSVP to David Mandaha dmandaha@csir.co.za (072 126 8910) or veronica.mohapeloa@dst.gov.za (0834005750) or Sipho Struuman SiphoSt@tshwane.gov.za

Issued by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation

Enquiries: Ishmael Mnisi 0660378859