South Africa: The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Blade Nzimande, will lead a high-level South African delegation on an extensive science, technology, and innovation visit to the Republic of Tunisia and the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria from 14 to 17 July 2025.
According to African Press Organization, these visits are in response to invitations to Minister Nzimande by the Tunisian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Mr. Mondher Belaid, and the Algerian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Mr. Kamel Bidari. Through these visits, Minister Nzimande seeks to reinforce existing science, technology, and innovation bilateral cooperation between South Africa and Tunisia and Algeria as part of a broader commitment to grow the size and intensity of intra-Africa STI cooperation for development.
One of the highlights of Minister Nzimande’s visit to Algeria will include a guest lecture organized by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific cooperation on Pan-African cooperation. Reflecting on the importance of these visits, Minister Nzimande stated that “Our visit to Algeria and Tunisia forms part of our long-standing international relations strategy to strengthen meaningful science, technology, and innovation cooperation with fellow African countries and to advance the objectives of the African Union’s Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA).”
Pan-African STI cooperation and development are of paramount importance given the current unstable geopolitical environment and the imperatives of securing the sustainable future of the continent. All efforts are therefore aimed towards developing what is referred to as a sovereign science, technology, and innovation agenda for Africa, added the Minister.
The two visits will conclude with the adoption by the DSTI and counterpart Ministries of two new comprehensive Plans of Action, aimed at intensifying cooperation with Tunisia and Algeria, respectively. This will be an immediate and concrete implementation of the ambitions for South Africa’s science diplomacy, which Minister Nzimande had outlined in his Budget Vote speech last week.
The Minister’s delegation includes senior officials from the Ministry, the Department, and the Entities of the Department such as the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), as well as experts from the Council for Mineral Technology (Mintek).