Finalists announced: 2019/2020 NSTF-South32 Awards

We wish to congratulate the following Members of the Academy and SAYAS alumni and members who are amongst the finalists of the 22nd prestigious NSTF-South32 Awards.

ASSAf Members:

Lifetime Award

Prof Faizal Bux – Director and Professor: Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology (DUT); Dept of Science and Innovation (DSI)/ National Research Foundation (NRF) South African Research Chair (SARChI): Wastewater Treatment, DUT 

Prof Zacharias (Zakkie) Pretorius – Research Fellow, Dept of Plant Sciences, University of the Free State 

Prof Michèle Ramsay – Professor: Human Genetics; Director: Sidney Brenner Institute of Molecular Bioscience; and DSI/NRF SARChI Chair: Bioinformatics and Genomics of African Populations, Wits 

Prof Leslie Swartz – Distinguished Professor: Dept of Psychology, Stellenbosch University 

Prof Robert J Wilkinson – Honorary Professor: UCT and University College London; Director: Wellcome Institute for Infectious Disease Research, UCT; Group Leader: Francis Crick Institute, London; and Professor: Infectious Diseases, Imperial College, London 

Prof Michael Wingfield – Professor: Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute; and Adviser to the Executive, University of Pretoria

​Management Award

Prof Frederik (Frik) van Niekerk – Professor: Nuclear Engineering; Professor: Energy, Unit for Energy and Technology, Contracts Director: DSI Hydrogen Infrastructure Centre of Competence; previously Vice-Rector responsible for Technology and Innovation, North-West University; and Director: Viridis Ipsum (Pty) Ltd 

​NSTF-Water Research Commission (WRC) Award

Prof Faizal Bux – Director and Professor: Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology (DUT), Department (Dept) of Science and Innovation/National Research Foundation South African Research Chair Initiative: Wastewater Treatment, DUT   

Communication Award

Prof Christopher Henshilwood – Distinguished Professor and Chair: South African Department (Dept) of Science and Innovation/National Research Foundation Research Chair Initiative in Modern Human Origins, Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand; Director: Research Council of Norway Centre of Excellence, Centre for Early Sapiens Behaviour, 2017-2026 University of Bergen; Professor: African Prehistory, Department of Archaeology, History, Cultural Studies and Religion, University of Bergen, Norway 

Special Annual Theme Award: Plant Health

Prof Zacharias (Zakkie) Pretorius – Research Fellow: Dept of Plant Sciences, University of the Free State 

Prof Michael Wingfield – Professor: Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute and Adviser to the Executive, UP

SAYAS alumni and members:

TW Kambule-NSTF Award: Researcher
Prof Christine Lochner
– Co-Director: South African Medical Research Council (MRC) Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Dept of Psychiatry, SU

Prof Rose Hayeshi – Director and Associate Professor: DSI/North-West University (NWU) Preclinical Drug Development Platform, NWU

TW Kambule-NSTF Award: Emerging Researcher
Prof Lisa C du Toit Lee Shong
– Associate Professor: Pharmaceutical Chemistry; Senior Researcher: Advanced Drug Delivery Platform Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand (Wits)

Prof Benita Olivier Personal Professor: Research and Postgraduate Coordinator, Physiotherapy Dept; and Research Director: Wits Institute for Sports and Health, Wits

Innovation Award: Corporate Organisation
Dr Tozama Qwebani-Ogunleye
– Project Manager and Researcher: Institute of Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Medicine-Dihlare, Vaal University of Technology

The NSTF Awards were established in 1998 as a collaborative effort to recognise outstanding contributions to science, engineering and technology (SET) and innovation by SET-related professionals and organisations in South Africa. This includes experienced scientists, engineers, innovators, science communicators, engineering capacity builders, and organisational managers/leaders, as well as data and research managers.

The announcement of the 2019/20 NSTF-South32 Awards winners will be announced at the Awards Gala Event taking place on 30 July 2020 as a virtual event, due to the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic.