Four finalists from Stellenbosch University (SU) will represent the institution at the 2025/2026 National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF)/South32 Awards where they will compete for South Africa’s coveted ‘Science Oscars’. 

The annual NSTF/South32 Awards recognise, celebrate and reward the outstanding contributions of individuals, teams and organisations to science, engineering and technology (SET) in the country.

The NSTF Awards Gala event will take place simultaneously in Cape Town and Johannesburg on 16 July, while being broadcast live to an online audience from both cities via the NSTF YouTube channel. The patron of the Awards, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, will preside over the presentation of the awards.

Among the competitors are experienced scientists, engineers, innovators, science communicators, engineering capacity builders, organisational managers and leaders, as well as data and research managers.

According to the organisers, it is an extraordinary honour to be a finalist, given the quality of the nominations received every year, the fierce competition that nominees face and growing interest from the SET community over the years.

The SU finalists (with department or environment) and the categories in which they will compete are as follows:

Prof Angela Dramowski (Department of Paediatrics and Child Health)

• TW Kambule-NSTF Researcher Award: To an individual who contributed to research and its outputs over a period of up to fifteen years of research work from the commencement of the research career, predominantly in South Africa. Dramowski made it to the final for advancing the prevention and treatment of neonatal and paediatric infections through data-driven quality improvement, impactful research, healthcare worker training and global health leadership.

Dr Arifa Parker (Unit for Infection Prevention and Control in the Department of Medicine)

• NSTF-SAMRC Clinician-Scientist Award: To an individual for contribution through research and its outputs in biomedical areas by up to six years of work from the commencement of the research career, predominantly in South Africa. Parker is a finalist for her contribution to healthcare epidemiology in Africa, using clinical and epidemiological expertise to improve healthcare quality and patient safety.

Prof Pieter Swanepoel (Department of Agronomy)

• NSTF-TIA Green Economy Award: For contributions towards achieving biodiversity conservation, environmental sustainability and a greener economy (by an individual, team or an organisation over the last five to 10 years). Swanepoel became a finalist for turning long term field evidence into simple, low input farming methods that improve soils, cut inputs, reduce the carbon footprint and stabilise crop yields.

Nanosene (Dr Gestel Kuyler: CEO, Co-Founder and Director)

• Innovation Award to Small, Medium and Micro enterprises for their contribution to innovation and their research and/or development. Nanosene, a SU spin-out company, made it to the final for building Africa’s first bespoke polymer innovator, enabling more reliable drug discovery through next-generation nanodisc technology.