When most people think of quantum physics, they picture science fiction — teleportation, secret codes and mysterious “entanglements”. But for Prof Andrew Forbes, these are not futuristic fantasies. They’re real, and they’re happening in his Johannesburg-based lab.

As Director of SA QuTI (South African Quantum Technology Initiative), Forbes and his team were the first in Africa to demonstrate quantum entanglement where two particles of light remain connected, even when separated.

“It was a major thing,” he says. “We were going to be left behind, but suddenly, Africa was not just watching the quantum revolution — we were part of it!”

Using what he calls “quantum mechanics with pictures”, Forbes pioneered ways to entangle light using complex patterns instead of simple binary states. Traditional computing forces you to choose left or right at each junction in a maze. Quantum light lets you go left and right simultaneously, exploring all routes at once. This allows faster database searches, vastly more data storage, and next-level imaging.

That breakthrough sparked a chain reaction. Today, universities across SA run entanglement experiments, and a new generation of quantum scientists trained in Forbes’s lab are pushing the field forward.

“Dr Isaac Nape, Prof Bienvenu Ndagano, Prof Bereneice Sephton … they’re all part of this growing quantum community. That’s what drives me — training people who will build our quantum future.”

His lab has achieved several world-firsts: high-dimensional teleportation, quantum secret sharing and the first demonstration of quantum topology — work that featured on the cover of Nature Photonics. These discoveries don’t just expand theory; they pave the way for real-world applications in digital privacy, medical imaging, and secure communication networks.

One example is the quantum camera, developed with local start-ups and powered by AI. It can capture images using just a few photons — essentially, “photographs in the dark”.

Its uses range from imaging sensitive biological systems to detecting concealed weapons behind tinted glass.

“We even helped the National Prosecuting Authority with a hijacking case,” says Forbes. “Not a quantum problem, but one where our quantum imaging tools made a difference. That’s real-world science, solving real-world problems.”

Under Forbes’s leadership, SA QuTI has launched four start-ups, collaborated with more than 30 companies, and built a thriving pipeline of quantum talent.

“The main intervention isn’t money — it’s leadership,” he says. “Our mission is clear: build critical quantum skills, translate science into technology, and fast-track uptake in industry to ready SA for a role in a new quantum economy.”

Globally, Forbes is helping Africa stay connected. Through Brics and Unesco’s International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ2025), he’s working to link African labs with international partners in a global open-access quantum network.

Winning the NSTF-South32 Award, he says, would be a catalyst. “It gives credibility, builds momentum, and helps us reach the public — especially the youth. Quantum is coming, and they deserve to be part of it.”

Looking ahead, Forbes wants to double SA’s quantum investment and talent over the next decade. “We’re making quantum systems resilient for the real world. And we’re doing it right here, in Africa.”

His secret weapon? “A brilliant team of students. I just try to make them famous. They’re the future. And they’re already shaping it.”

Read the special Mail & Guardian supplement about all the NSTF-South32 Award winners.