Parliament, Thursday, 30 July 2026 – The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation, Ms Lusizo Makhubela, has congratulated all the finalists and winners throughout the 18 classes of the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF)-South32 Awards, broadly often called South Africa’s “Science Oscars”.
The awards ceremony was held concurrently in a hybrid format at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) and in Johannesburg underneath the theme Healthy Ageing.
The NSTF was established in 1998 as South Africa’s largest multistakeholder non-profit organisation for science, engineering, know-how and innovation. It serves as an unbiased voice that promotes collaboration and informs science and innovation coverage. The NSTF-South32 Awards recognise excellent contributions and honour people, groups, partnerships, and organisations whose distinctive achievements have superior scientific data, pushed innovation, and contributed to societal and socio-economic growth.
These awards additionally replicate the Portfolio Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation’s dedication to recognising, celebrating and supporting excellence in science, know-how, engineering and arithmetic.
The NSTF-South32 awards additionally coincide with the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation’s National Science Month marketing campaign, celebrated in July. This presents an vital alternative to advertise public consciousness and appreciation of the important position that science, know-how and innovation play in enhancing lives and shaping the nation’s future. The Portfolio Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation helps these efforts by encouraging broader consciousness amongst Members of Parliament, parliamentary workers, the scientific neighborhood and the public of the important impression of analysis and innovation.
This yr’s awards ceremony was attended by finalists, sponsors, VIP company and college students taking part in the NSTF Brilliants Programme, which recognises top-performing learners who achieved distinctive leads to the 2025 Matric examinations, with a mean move fee exceeding 95% throughout their respective topics. The broader science, engineering and know-how neighborhood, in addition to members of the public, had been capable of observe the occasion by means of a stay broadcast.
The 2026 NSTF-South32 Award winners are as follows:
- Lifetime Award:
Prof Rachel Jewkes – Executive Scientist: South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC); Honorary Professor: School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand (Wits)
Prof Tjaart Krüger – Full Professor, Department (Dept) of Physics, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria (UP)
AND
Prof Musa Manzi – Associate Professor; Director: Seismic Research Centre, Wits.
Dr Edith Phalane – Manager: Pan African Centre for Epidemics Research (PACER), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg (UJ)
AND
Prof Topside Mathonsi – Associate Professor; Head of Dept: Information Technology, Tshwane University of Technology (TUT)
Prof Marcia Mkansi – Dept of Operations Management; College Head: Research and Innovation, University of South Africa (UNISA)
Prof Sudesh Sivarasu – DSTI-NRF SARChI Chairholder: Biomedical Engineering and Innovation; Director: Biomedical Engineering Research Centre, University of Cape Town (UCT); Head: UCT MedTech laboratory
Prof Patricia Forbes – Full Professor: Dept of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, UP; Editor in Chief: American Chemical Society (ACS) Earth and Space Chemistry
Prof Llewellyn Padayachy – Professor and Head: Dept of Neurosurgery; Director: Brain Tumour and Translational Neuroscience Centre (BTC@UP), UP
Prof Fortune Ganda – Full Professor: Accounting; Head: Dept of Management Accounting and Finance, Faculty of Economic and Financial Sciences, Walter Sisulu University (WSU)
Prof Malik Maaza – Full Professor and Senior Scientist, UNISA; UNESCO Africa Chair; Extraordinary Professor, University of the Western Cape (UWC)
Reel Life Food Security Programme, Reel Life NPC – Ms Claire Blanckenberg, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Cube Analysis and Rendering Tool for Astronomy (CARTA – Prof Rob Simmonds, Technical Lead: CARTA; Associate Director: IDIA; Professor: Dept of Computer Science, UCT
TextAugment Team – Prof Vukosi Marivate, Professor: Computer Science; Director: African Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AfriDSAI); ABSA UP Chair: Data Science, UP
National Biodiversity Assessment 2025 Core Data Team – Prof Andrew Skowno, Associate Professor; Principal Specialist: National Biodiversity Assessment (NBA), South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI); Honorary Associate Professor: Biological Sciences, UCT
JENano Research Group – Prof Tien Chien Jen, DSTI-NRF SARChI Chairholder: Green Hydrogen; Head: Dept of Mechanical Engineering Science; Director: Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) Research Centre, University of Johannesburg (UJ)
AlrSynQ Systems (Pty) Ltd – Prof Bruce Mellado, CEO: AIrSynQ; Executive Director: The South African Consortium of Air Quality Monitoring (SACAQM).
Prof Mike Bruton – Professional Science Communicator: Mike Bruton Imagineering, MTE Studios and components D.
Advancing Knowledge NPC – Prof Shaheed Hartley, Director and CEO
Team Prof Kathleen Kahn and Prof Stephen Tollman – Prof Kathleen Kahn, Professor: Public Health, Wits; Principal Scientist: SAMRC/Wits Agincourt; Head: Interdisciplinary PhD Programme in Public and Population Health, School of Public Health, Wits
AND
Prof Stephen Tollman, Director: SAMRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Unit; Head: Health and Population Division, School of Public Health, Wits; Director: Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt) Node, South African Population Research Infrastructure Network (SAPRIN).
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION, MS LUSIZO MAKHUBELA.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Mava Lukani (Mr)
Parliamentary Communication Services
Cell: 081 503 1840
E-mail: [email protected]