Science Writer
The Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Mr Buti Manamela, hosted the Secretary of State from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Prof. Dr Sabine Döring, during her visit to South Africa last week.
South Africa and Germany’s broad partnership includes a government-to-government agreement on science and technology signed in 1996. The two countries collaborate on several joint initiatives, including renewable energy, radio astronomy, climate change science, space science and human capital development.
Over the past 12 months, the two countries have held several high-level meetings. Döring’s visit was to attend the 20th celebration of the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences in Cape Town.
Speaking on 20 March, the Deputy Minister said the series of engagements showed that both countries were committed to working together, and thanked Germany for its support for the various initiatives being implemented under the partnership.
One of these is a joint research chair for the just energy transition. A letter of intent between Germany and South Africa was signed in March 2023 in Cape Town, and the chair will be established by the National Research Foundation as part of the South African Research Chairs Initiative for the period 2025 to 2030, with a review after five years.
Germany has invested in several centres of excellence throughout Africa that South Africa also supports, like the African–German Centres for Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems and for Applied Agricultural and Food Data Science.
Döring expressed Germany’s appreciation for the partnership, referring to the many recent milestones achieved by the two countries, and South Africa’s 2025 assumption of the G20 presidency. South Africa will be succeeding Brazil, which holds the presidency until 30 November 2024.
South Africa’s G20 presidency will focus on open science and open innovation concepts, support for innovation and commercialisation, industry innovation, the continuation of the chief science advisers round table, energy innovation, the bioeconomy, the circular economy, and inclusion and diversity in science, technology and innovation.
At the meeting, Döring said that digital education was a major concern in Germany, and that the country prioritised providing high school learners with future-ready skills.
South Africa’s education partnership with Germany has been fruitful, particularly with technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges and universities of technology, as well as practical work that has involved the German automotive sector.
The Deputy Minister applauded Germany’s commitment to helping establish a TVET lecturer development centre, the process for which was already under way. Ekurhuleni East College will host the centre, which has received funding of €8 million from Germany’s KfW Development Bank.
“We consider this a significant investment and intervention to improve the quality of lecturing and the skills that come out of TVET colleges,” Manamela said.
He went on to say that, over the past 15 years, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation had worked tirelessly to shift young people’s perspective that going to university was the best thing to do after high school.
By 2030, the TVET college system is expected to be about twice the size of the university system. Currently, there are about half a million students enrolled in TVET colleges, and over a million at universities. The government sees the expansion of the TVET system as a way to strengthen partnerships with industry and ensure that TVET students have the skills needed for employment.
Germany participates in the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project through the distinguished Max Planck Society, a research body focused on funding fundamental research in Germany. The society’s investment in the MeerKAT project (approximately €11 million) considerably increases the MeerKAT’s scientific capability, while also indicating that the MeerKAT’s value is internationally recognised.
Germany is negotiating to become a full member of the SKA Observatory, the intergovernmental organisation established through an international treaty to regulate the SKA project. Deputy Minister Manamela indicated that South Africa looked forward to Germany becoming a member of the SKA Organisation.Â
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