August 25, 2025
The successful launch of the third National Space Conference (NSC) took place on 20 August 2025 at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria, South Africa and runs until 22 August 2025. The conference organised by the National Earth Observations and Space Secretariat (NEOSS) and the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) on behalf of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), in collaboration with key national partners including the South African Air Force (SAAF) has seen a steady increase in participation by all sectors of space in the country. This year’s conference is dedicated to exploring “Space for Societal Resilience, Transformation and Intelligence”.
In the current volatile geopolitical climate, challenges such as water scarcity, food insecurity, environmental disasters and national safety concerns are increasing rapidly and space science, technology and innovation integration continue to offer opportunities for sustainable societal and environmental management.
Offering the welcome address, Humbulani Mudau, SANSA CEO stated that ‘Earth intelligence generated through space knowledge and infrastructure can aid in transformation of the lives of our citizens and build resilience to climate and geopolitical challenges as we strive to create awareness of how integrated our lives have become with advancements in space technologies.’
He also touched on the fact that SANSA would be hosting the 6th Space Economic Leaders Meeting (SELM) as part of the G20 meetings in the Western Cape in September. This supports the objective of enabling access by invited African space partners to the G20 member space agencies.
The Director General, Dr Mlungisi Cele, of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) provided the Opening address for the conference and set context from Government on why this conference is important to the ambitions of the state to enhance and protect the lives of the citizens through science and technology. He reiterated the DSTI mantra that positions science, technology and innovation at the centre of government, society and the environment.
On behalf of the Department, he challenged the stakeholders attending the conference to ensure that ‘Space be a growth frontier on the continent and aim to change the status of South Africa and Africa from consumers of space to be creators and innovators that establish a functional ecosystem for space innovation, products and services.’
Lieutenant General Wiseman Simo Mbambo provided the keynote address on behalf of the South African Air Force and showcased the need for ‘South Africa to develop sovereign space capabilities and reduce reliance on foreign assets and data. The result should be a space force that evolves from users to protectors of sovereign space assets and citizenry.’
Dr Thulani Dlamini, CSIR CEO, highlighted CSIR’s pivotal role in shaping South Africa’s space industry, noting that the foresight of its founding leaders to drive industrialisation across multiple sectors laid the foundation for the nation’s space. .
The conference contains many exciting sessions by experts in academia, industry and government and includes a well- structured exhibition at the conference from diverse stakeholders. The following sponsors, Star Vision, Simera Sense, Aliens and MFT have made significant contribution to the logistical arrangements of the exhibitions and confirm the value stakeholders garner at this event.
The sessions promise to highlight advancements in latest and advanced technologies and capabilities across the industry, new research from the scientists and increased scale of public outreach efforts alongside government’s products and services impact of space investments.
This year’s NSC 2025 event will highlight the role of stakeholders in the space domain and how they invest in strengthening public services, enhancing resilience, and accelerating inclusive development thus building the resilience for the benefit of all into the exciting space future.
For more information contact:
Vaneshree Maharaj, Communications Manager
About the South African National Space Agency
At SANSA we believe in creating an infinite impact for the benefit of all South Africans through technological advancement and innovation. The agency was established in 2010 through the South African National Space Agency Act, 36 of 2008. SANSA aims to promote cooperation in space-related activities, foster research in space science, advance scientific engineering through human capital and support development of an environment conducive to industrial development in space technologies.
