Media Releases
CSIR have found that renewable energy assisted in relieving pressure on the constrained South African power system during load shedding in the first quarter of 2019. With South Africa needing to resort to up to stage 4 load shedding in the first quarter of 2019 (Q1-2019), variable renewable energy (VRE) contributed valuable energy and assisted in avoiding further load shedding. Study document [PDF]
Up to 50% of the annual inflows into the Western Cape’s Berg River Dam catchment and Limpopo’s De Hoop Dam catchment could be used up by alien plants over a period of 45 years, if they are left uncleared. This is the warning issued by water experts Dr David Le Maitre of the CSIR; Dr James Blignaut of Stellenbosch University; Prof. Lynette Louw, Prof. Tally Palmer and Mr Ian Preston of Rhodes University in a recent paper published by the Water Research Commission in the Water SA journal, titled Impact of invasive alien plants on water provision in selected catchments
South Africans have been urged to become more energy efficient, change their behaviour and make use of complementary energy sources, as South Africa experiences further load shedding and grid outages.
CSIR, in partnership with the Departments of Science and Technology and Human Settlements, launched the Urban Knowledge Exchange Southern Africa (uKESA), an online platform designed to support government, industry, the private sector, civil society, and academic partners in improving urban development and human settlement practice.
“uKESA is a collaborative contribution aimed at ensuring that the knowledge that has been, and will continue to be generated during the development of sustainable and inclusive human settlements, is not only captured but also remains accessible to stakeholders within the public, private and civil society sectors,” says CSIR principal researcher, Dr Mark Napier.
The residents of Gauteng have been urged to participate in and cooperate with the fieldworkers who are conducting a transport survey. About 37 000 households have been selected to participate in this survey, which aims to assist government to plan for future investments in transport infrastructure in the province.
CSIR researchers will be using this year’s annual national science festival, Scifest Africa in Makhanda, to showcase optimised technologies to rural learners in order to equip them with the right skills for the the fourth industrial revolution.
The CSIR is displaying additive manufacturing, laser hardening and laser welding processes for manufacturing industry. It is also showcasing computer simulations done on Lengau, Africa’s fastest computer. Scifest Africa, which is currently underway, is one of the Department of Science and Technology's key science engagement platforms.
On 8th of March 2019, the CSIR launched a state-of-the-art online climate risk profiling and adaptation tool to assist municipalities across South Africa to assess climate risks and growth pressures, by implementing adaptation actions towards the development of climate resilient human settlements.
“The open access, online tool – named the Green Book – is intended to be an applied knowledge resource for municipalities to address climate change impacts and vulnerabilities in human settlements.
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has partnered with Parliament to produce an exhibition demonstrating South Africa's readiness to embrace the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR).
The 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) refers to the current and developing environment in which disruptive technologies and trends such as the Internet of Things and virtual reality are changing the way people live and work.
President Ramaphosa's State of the Nation Address on 7 February highlighted the need for South Africa to prepare for the 4th Industrial Revolution, referring to the Presidential Commission he has appointed for this purpose.
In a groundbreaking study published in Nature Genetics on 10 December 2018, a team of scientists from the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), led by Prof. Musa Mhlanga, has detailed – for the first time – the mechanism of how the immune system remembers prior exposures to, for example, pathogens (micro-organisms like bacteria, causing infection), to then trigger the right response to reinfection.
First author and CSIR senior researcher, Dr Stephanie Fanucchi, contextualises the research: “The immune system sits at the apex of our protection against all diseases, ranging from infectious diseases to chronic diseases, such as cancer and diabetes.”