South African company awarded major contract as part of SKA construction

South Africa is set to benefit economically from the awarding of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA)Mid infrastructure contract as part of the construction of the mid-frequency components of the SKA telescope in Carnarvon in the Northern Cape.

The SKA telescope will be the most advanced radio telescope on Earth when completed. Located at sites in South Africa and Australia, the telescope will explore the origins of the universe among others.

Speaking at an event signalling the commencement of the on-site construction of the mega science project, the Minister of Higher Education, Science Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, wel- comed the awarding of the contract – the largest to be awarded to a local company by the international SKA Observatory (SKAO).

"I wish to congratulate Power Adenco Joint Venture (Pty) Ltd, which has been appointed as the successful bidder for the tender to build the major civils infrastructure, which includes a rollout of power, fibre and roads, and will be the biggest contract awarded by the SKAO to a South African-based company, amounting close to R890 million," said the Minister.

The telescope will be built at a cost of €1.3 billion and will be completed in 2028. The construction and operations of the telescope will be managed by the SKAO. As part of the commencement, €300 million worth of contracts awarded to companies across the SKAO partnership was announced, including the production of the telescope dishes and antennas and the major infrastructure work at the telescope sites.

South Africa has already constructed the 64-dish MeerKAT telescope/instrument that will eventually form part of the SKA-Mid telescope.

Dr Nzimande pointed out that local participation in the construction of the SKA-Mid telescope is a key requirement of the SKAO, making the awarding of the contract highly significant.

"A proportionate amount of the contract value will indeed be spent with local small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs), employment of local people, training and transferring skills to local people, supporting local businesses and implementing community development initiatives in conjunction with the SKAO and the South African Radio Astronomy

Observatory (SARAO)," said the Minister.

Investment

This contract is in addition to recently awarded contracts to SARAO and other South African companies, such as

Vivo

A total estimated value of contracts worth R1.2 billion have now been awarded to South African entities, with further contracts expected. Furthermore, it is expected that the leasing of buildings to be constructed, and ongoing technical maintenance and operations of the SKAO for the next 50 years, will deliver long-term, sustainable foreign investment to South Africa.

The Minister congratulated the SKAO for delivering on its promise of ensuring that South Africa and other member countries get their fair share of returns, demonstrating that scientific projects can make positive socio-economic impacts.

Over and above direct foreign investment and indirect return on investment in the form of job creation, SMME development, human capital development, science tourism and other related benefits, South Africa’s membership in the SKAO will continue to enhance the country’s interna-

About the SKAO

tional reputation as a partner and destination for science and technology investment and collaborations.

This return on investment is testament to the hard work done by South Africa over

International recognition

the past 20 years. The local design, manufacturing and construction of the MeerKAT telescope by SARAO proved that the country has extremely competent technical and engineering capabilities.

The MeerKAT telescope, which will eventually be integrated into the SKA-Mid telescope, continues to receive scientific accolades from across the world for several amazing discoveries made since it was launched in 2018 – the latest being the Royal Astronomical Society's 2023 Group Achievement Award. Many of these discoveries have been delivered by the local astronomy community, which has grown exponentially and transformed over the past decade to become globally competitive.

The SKA-Mid telescope will ultimately see 133 dishes added to the existing 64dish MeerKAT telescope, totalling nearly 200 dishes. Most dishes will be concentrated in a core, with three spiral arms extending over 150 km.

The SKAO is an intergovernmental organisation that comprises countries from five continents and is headquartered in the United Kingdom.

Its two telescopes, each composed of hundreds of dishes and thousands of antennas, will be constructed in South Africa and Australia, and eventually be the two most advanced radio telescopes on Earth. A later expansion is envisioned in both countries and other African partner countries.

Together with other state-of-the-art research facilities, the SKAO’s telescopes will explore the unknown frontiers of science and deepen the understanding of key processes, including the formation and evolution of galaxies, fundamental physics in extreme environments and the origins of life.

The involvement of South African entities in the construction of the SKA project and the transfer of benefits through these contracts to the local communities is, but one of the many ways that the country will continue to realise the rewards of its involvement and investments in the global SKAO.