Features

The largest research project ever undertaken by multiple nations using tracking data of seabirds and mammals over the entire Southern Ocean, calls for conservation areas to be urgently established. The findings from this international collaboration that were published in Nature are intended to inform spatial management across the entire Southern Ocean, to recommend where MPAs should be expanded or new MPAs created in areas of national jurisdiction as well as within the high seas where there is no national jurisdiction. The goal is to maximise biodiversity conservation in areas of ecological importance.

It all started in the dusty basement of the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein, which houses the archives of South African court records dating back over 100 years. Here, writer and historian Richard Conyngham found – and has brought to life – the extraordinary legal struggles of working-class South African men and women [...]

   The annual theoretical physics internship develops key 4IR skills, builds capacity for South African-based international science programmes such as the SKA and SA-CERN science, and boosts South Africa’s physics brains trust. “The internship is all about preparing final year BSc, Honours and Master’s students from all South African universities to be high-level problem [...]

Humans delight in creating patterns in the sand, and over 100 000 years ago it would appear we were no different. People were drawing triangles in the dunes along South Africa’s southern Cape coast. They had also mastered how to draw circles compass-style and sculpted something that closely resembles a stingray [...]

Ten percent of South Africa’s land area, mostly in the high mountain catchments along the eastern escarpment, generates 50% of the volume of water in all our river systems. This was identified in a substantial research document produced in 2013 by WWF-SA, the Water Research Commission and the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research, which [...]

Out of struggle comes growth, and the creators of Hlakanyana - a musical drama in the making – believe it has all the ingredients to be a socially relevant hit. Hlakanyana - a cunning, unethical creature, depicted in animal or human form - is one of the best known characters in African folklore, and, despite [...]

The origins of human self-awareness and development have been traced to South Africa’s Cape south coast.   The images, human footprints and animal tracks found by scientists on South Africa’s Cape south coast are unique. Nothing like this exists anywhere else in the world. “We can, with increased confidence, say welcome home, Homo sapiens,” says [...]

The coronavirus has highlighted the need for South Africa to manufacture life-saving drugs. “We have done a huge amount of research into new ways of manufacturing generic life-saving medications in South Africa, specifically for AIDS, TB, malaria, cancer and influenza,” says Professor Paul Watts, holder of the SARChI Chair in Microfluidic Bio/Chemical Processing at Nelson [...]

Many drug ingredient makers in China remain shut or have cut their output. This is a huge problem, not only for us, but for all countries worldwide. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown the need for South Africa to manufacture life-saving drugs. “We have done a huge amount of research into new ways of manufacturing [...]