Prize sponsor: proSET (Professionals in SET), a sector of the NSTF representing almost 50 professional societies
- Prof Sally Archibald – Professor: School of Plant and Animal Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand (Wits)
- Prof Irene Barnes – Professor of Genetics: Department (Dept) of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology; Research Leader: Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (Inst); University of Pretoria (UP)
- Prof Timothy Dube – Director: Inst for Water Studies, University of the Western Cape (UWC); Adjunct Professor: United Nations University, Flores, Germany; and also in the Water Research Commission category*
- Dr Michelle Lochner – Senior (Sr) Lecturer: Dept of Physics and Astronomy, UWC; Staff Scientist: South African Radio Astronomy Observatory; and also in the Special Annual Theme category*
- Prof Cletos Mapiye – Associate Professor: Animal Science, Stellenbosch University (SU)
- Prof Deshen Moodley – Chair: Department of Science and Innovation (DSI)/National Research Foundation (NRF)-University of Cape Town (UCT) South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) in Artificial Intelligence Systems; Co-Director: Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research, Dept of Computer Science, UCT; and also in the Special Annual Theme category*
- Prof Khumbulani Mpofu – DSI/NRF SARChI Chair in Future Transport Manufacturing Technologies; Gibela Research Chair in Manufacturing and Skills Development; Founder and Board Member: Rail Manufacturing Centre for Entrepreneurship Rapid Incubator, Tshwane University of Technology (TUT); also in the Engineering Research Capacity Development and the Special Annual Theme categories*
- Prof Patience Mthunzi-Kufa – Research Group Head for Biophotonics and Manager (Photonics Centre) – Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR); Professor Extraordinarius: University of South Africa (Unisa); and also in the Management and the Engineering Research Capacity Development categories*
- Prof Gordon O’Brien – Associate Professor: Ecology and Programme Leader: “Rivers of Life”, University of Mpumalanga (UMP); and also in the Water Research Commission category
- Prof Samuel O Oluwafemi – Professor and Project Leader: Nanomaterials Synthesis and Applications Laboratory, Dept of Chemical Sciences, University of Johannesburg (UJ); and also in the Engineering Research Capacity Development category*
- Prof Sudesh Sivarasu – Chair: DSI/NRF SARChI Chair in Biomedical Engineering and Innovation; Director: Biomedical Engineering Research Centre; Head: UCT MedTech, UCT; and also in the Engineering Research Capacity Development category*
- Prof Grant Theron – Group Leader: DSI/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research, South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Centre for TB Research, Dept of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, SU
- Dr Bjorn von der Heyden – Sr Lecturer: Dept of Earth Sciences, African Rainbow Minerals GeoMetallurgy Research Co-Chair, SU