A 17-member South African delegation heads to India from 26 to 30 October 2026 for the 12th Annual BRICS Astronomy Working Group Meeting, aiming to defend and expand the country’s share of one of the emerging world’s most significant research collaborations.
Takalani Nemaungani, Chief Director of Astronomy at the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, will lead the group. The delegation draws on some of the country’s most prominent research assets: representatives from the South African Astronomical Observatory, the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, the University of Cape Town, the University of Western Cape, the Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy and the University of Johannesburg. That lineup gives South Africa a broad institutional footprint at the table.
For a country that has invested heavily in astronomy infrastructure over the years, the stakes are about protecting returns on that investment through international partnership. The meeting will focus on multi-messenger and multi-wavelength transients, while opening space for discussions on research collaboration, skills development and public engagement. Delegates will deliver presentations on the state of astronomy across BRICS member countries, covering scientific developments, strategic priorities and policy perspectives. Discussions are expected to inform collective planning and help identify shared challenges and opportunities across the BRICS astronomy community.
The National Research Foundation framed the country’s presence as a statement of institutional strength. “Their participation highlights South Africa’s contribution to the Working Group and the role of national research institutions and universities in advancing collaborative astronomy,” the NRF said in a statement.
The working group itself dates back to 2015, when it was established to promote cooperation among member countries in astronomy research, technology development and capacity building. Its flagship initiative, the BRICS Intelligent Telescope and Data Network, known as BITDN, underpins long-term collaboration through shared research infrastructure and data capabilities. That shared-infrastructure model is central to the economic logic of the grouping: pooling expensive facilities and data assets allows member countries to extract more scientific and skills value than any could alone, while advancing research, innovation and human capital development across the bloc.
The Indian programme reflects that blend of science and capacity building. Alongside the main sessions, the meeting will host the BAWG Data Science Hackathon, organised in collaboration with the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences and the Indian Space Research Organisation. Further activities include science communication training, the launch of the BRICS Astronomy Robotics and Coding Training initiative, and a public exhibition showcasing astronomy facilities across BRICS countries.
Meanwhile, researchers, government representatives, educators and science communicators will use the gathering to review progress on existing initiatives, strengthen partnerships and identify new opportunities for cooperation in astronomy research and technology development. Discussions will also span education, data science and public engagement, areas where South Africa has positioned itself as a contributor rather than a passive participant.
The payoff for South Africa, according to the government’s framing, lies in strengthening the national astronomy landscape and connecting local expertise with international research networks, while supporting the development of skills, innovation and public engagement. In practical terms, that means national facilities and universities gaining access to collaborative pipelines that sustain their relevance and utility over time.
The NRF captured the broader case for the collaboration in a statement quoted by the South African Government News Agency: “By bringing together scientific research, policy dialogue, capacity building and public engagement, the BAWG reinforces astronomy’s contribution to scientific advancement and sustainable development across BRICS countries.”
For investors in research infrastructure, operators of national facilities and the universities whose staff form the delegation, the October meeting is an opportunity to secure the partnerships that keep that capital productive. Further details on the meeting and South Africa’s participation are available at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/south-africa-boost-brics-astronomy-cooperation.