Prize sponsor: proSET (Professionals in SET), a sector of the NSTF representing more than 50 professional societies

Prof Tjaart Krüger – Full Professor, Department (Dept) of Physics, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria (UP)

For his contribution to the development of ultra-sensitive single-molecule instruments to reveal nature’s quantum blueprint for converting sunlight into cleaner, smarter energy

AND

Prof Musa Manzi – Associate Professor; Director: Seismic Research Centre, Wits

For his contribution to developing novel, cost-saving surface and in-mine seismic techniques to explore resources, mitigate geohazards, and improve infrastructure development

Prize sponsor: South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS)

Dr Edith Phalane – Manager: Pan African Centre for Epidemics Research (PACER), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg (UJ)

For her role in generating public health evidence to understand local epidemics and inform future pandemics, improving health outcomes across populations

AND

Prof Topside Mathonsi – Associate Professor; Head of Dept: Information Technology, Tshwane University of Technology (TUT)

For the development of intelligent technologies that use artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) to protect critical resources such as water, agriculture, and essential infrastructure

Prof Marcia Mkansi – Dept of Operations Management; College Head: Research and Innovation, University of South Africa (UNISA)

For advancing societal research and promoting human capital development

Prof Sudesh Sivarasu – DSTI-NRF SARChI Chairholder: Biomedical Engineering and Innovation; Director: Biomedical Engineering Research Centre, University of Cape Town (UCT); Head: UCT MedTech laboratory

For his contribution to closing the gap between African clinical need and globally competitive medical device technology

Sponsor: WRC

Prof Patricia Forbes – Full Professor: Dept of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, UP; Editor in Chief: American Chemical Society (ACS) Earth and Space Chemistry

For her groundbreaking research on pioneering new analytical methods for trace environmental pollutants and tackling analytical challenges which have curtailed monitoring efforts

Sponsor: SAMRC

Prof Llewellyn Padayachy – Professor and Head: Dept of Neurosurgery; Director: Brain Tumour and Translational Neuroscience Centre (BTC@UP), UP

For the development of point-of-care diagnostics for the early detection of brain tumours

Sponsor: Technology Innovation Agency (TIA)

Prof Fortune Ganda – Full Professor: Accounting; Head: Dept of Management Accounting and Finance, Faculty of Economic and Financial Sciences, Walter Sisulu University (WSU)

For his role in research that identifies evidence-based strategies for sustainable finance and green economic transitions that decouple growth from environmental degradation in developing and emerging nations

Sponsor: Science Diplomacy Capital for Africa (SDCfA)

Dr Rudzani Nemutudi on behalf of Prof Malik Maaza

Prof Malik Maaza – Full Professor and Senior Scientist, UNISA; UNESCO Africa Chair; Extraordinary Professor, University of the Western Cape (UWC)

For pioneering the multi-disciplinary field of nanosciences and nanotechnologies in Africa

Sponsor: ARC

Reel Life Food Security Programme, Reel Life NPC – Ms Claire Blanckenberg, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

For their contribution in transforming schools, households and emerging agripreneurs into climate-smart food producers using patented seed technology that reduces water use while increasing yields per square metre

Dr Angus Comrie on behalf of Cube Analysis and Rendering Tool for Astronomy Prof Rob Simmonds

Cube Analysis and Rendering Tool for Astronomy (CARTA) – Prof Rob Simmonds, Technical Lead: CARTA; Associate Director: IDIA; Professor: Dept of Computer Science, UCT

For their contribution to visualising and analysing massive radio astronomy datasets, enabling scientists worldwide to explore the universe in unprecedented detail

Sponsor: South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR)

TextAugment Team – Prof Vukosi Marivate, Professor: Computer Science; Director: African Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AfriDSAI); ABSA UP Chair: Data Science, UP

For their contribution in developing TextAugment, an open-source library that addresses data scarcity in HLTs by generating synthetic training data for under-resourced languages such as isiZulu and Sesotho, enabling robust AI models and advancing linguistic equity globally

Mr Shonisani Munzhedzi on behalf of Prof Andrew Skowno

National Biodiversity Assessment 2025 Core Data Team – Prof Andrew Skowno, Associate Professor; Principal Specialist: National Biodiversity Assessment (NBA), South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI); Honorary Associate Professor: Biological Sciences, UCT

For creating an innovative web-based platform that integrates extensive biodiversity data and advanced analytics to support national biodiversity reporting and informed decision-making for sustainable development

Sponsor: National Intellectual Property Management Office (NIPMO)

JENano Research Group – Prof Tien Chien Jen, DSTI-NRF SARChI Chairholder: Green Hydrogen; Head: Dept of Mechanical Engineering Science; Director: Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) Research Centre, University of Johannesburg (UJ)

For advancing postgraduate training and national capacity development in SA

Sponsor: NIPMO

Prof Edward Nkadimeng on behalf of Prof Bruce Mellado

AlrSynQ Systems (Pty) Ltd – Prof Bruce Mellado, CEO: AIrSynQ; Executive Director: The South African Consortium of Air Quality Monitoring (SACAQM)

For turning SACAQM/AIr innovation into a scalable, AI-powered environmental risk service that helps organisations act early to protect health, safety and productivity across workplaces and communities

Prof Mike Bruton – Professional Science Communicator: Mike Bruton Imagineering, MTE Studios and formula D_

For his significant contributions to making science accessible to the public

Advancing Knowledge NPC – Prof Shaheed Hartley, Director and CEO

For building world-class science learning spaces that transform under-resourced schools into hubs of STEM excellence and opportunity (STEM = science, technology, engineering and mathematics)

Team Prof Kathleen Kahn and Prof Stephen Tollman – Prof Kathleen Kahn, Professor: Public Health, Wits; Principal Scientist: SAMRC/Wits Agincourt; Head: Interdisciplinary PhD Programme in Public and Population Health, School of Public Health, Wits

AND

Prof Stephen Tollman, Director: SAMRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Unit; Head: Health and Population Division, School of Public Health, Wits; Director: Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit (Agincourt) Node, South African Population Research Infrastructure Network (SAPRIN)

For their contribution to building evidence for healthy ageing across the lifecourse in South and sub-Saharan Africa