Why Astronomy Matters

When we speak about radio astronomy, it is easy to focus on the instruments, the dishes, the receivers, the data. But I want to invite us to look beyond the telescopes. Because here in Africa, radio astronomy is not just about observing the universe, it is also about transformation.

It is worth noting that space science and technology contribute to the solutions across all of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Reflecting on what the MeerKAT telescope has truly achieved, we see that it has delivered world-class science and produced some of the most detailed radio images humanity has ever seen. But its deeper impact lies elsewhere. MeerKAT has shown that Africa can design, build, operate, and lead at the frontiers of global science. It has anchored confidence, not only in our institutions, but in our people.

And its impact is not abstract; it is measurable and tangible. To date, over 1,800 bursaries have been awarded, building a new generation of African scientists and engineers. More than R8 billion has been added to South Africa’s national GDP between 2011 and 2022. Over 20 innovative technologies have been developed through the programme. Open time on the telescope is oversubscribed by more than three times the available capacity.

MeerKAT has created a platform for participation in science, and for global relevance. From that platform, a networked ecosystem across our African Partner Countries has emerged. These are not side benefits; they are the outcome of deliberate investment into science as a driver of development.

In my own research and case study of the MeerKAT programme, we found something important, approximately 28% of the total project investment was deliberately allocated to socio-economic benefit components. Because these were designed into the programme from the beginning, they created measurable risk mitigation and contributed directly to long-term project sustainability.

This is a critical lesson for us. When impact is intentional, it is not a cost to the project, it is what enables the project to succeed. Impact must be designed, not assumed.

The Africa Radio Astronomy Programme has a simple but powerful vision: to sustainably establish African science and technology networks, grow skills, and embed capability across our partner countries. In practice, this means we are no longer building isolated projects, we are building systems of human capital development, research infrastructure, and partnerships that endure beyond funding cycles.

We are now designing interferometers for training, observatories are becoming national assets, and data science capabilities are emerging where none existed before. We see young scientists and engineers stepping into global collaborations. These are the true outputs of radio astronomy infrastructure programmes.

The programme includes the refurbishment of the Ghana telecommunications dish into a radio astronomy instrument, the rollout of TART instruments, DARA training programmes, Big Data initiatives, e-learning platforms, the development of two-dish interferometers, and the implementation of the MeerKAT extension dish in Botswana in partnership with DZA, among others.

Another important lesson we are learning is that colocation creates sustainability. When space science infrastructure is combined with space industry applications, we unlock revenue streams, job creation, skills development, and data-driven solutions to real-world challenges. We are ensuring that the benefits of space science extend far beyond the observatory.

Innovation has also led to the development of related programmes, such as Africa FIRST, deploying hermetically sealed compute systems in mineral oil, essentially enabling mini data centres to be deployed in remote areas across Africa. These will be connected through an open-source platform, allowing shared data access and compute resources for governments, academia, and digital entrepreneurs.

And in African astronomy, we are now taking a step beyond Earth. Through Africa2Moon, we are preparing to place African-built radio astronomy instruments on the Moon, not as participants, but as contributors; not as observers, but as innovators. Africa2Moon represents a shift in mindset from capacity building to capability exporting, and from learning from the world to contributing to it and even leading.

Astronomy is not just about observing signals from the universe. It is about recognising the signal within Africa itself, the signal of collaboration and possibility.

It is written: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands” (Psalm 19:1). 

May what we build here on Earth in science, in partnership, and in purpose, be worthy of what we observe above.