South Africa’s midterm strategic plans were developed not just by government. They had input from the private and other sectors as well, pointed out Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) deputy director-general: space science and innovation Mmboneni Muofhe. He was delivering the keynote address at the opening of the South African National Space Agency’s (Sansa’s) second Space for National Development Conference in Pretoria.

“Planning and strategising around the country’s future is not just government’s role and responsibility,” he affirmed. “It is the role and responsibility of everybody . . . Our country and continent do not belong to government but to all who reside in it.”

Likewise, outer space was, in South Africa, not the sole responsibility of Sansa. The space agency existed to facilitate the use of space in South Africa and to help institutions, agencies and companies to access, process and use space-based data.

“When we talk about space for national development, we also mean space for informed policy and decision-making,” he highlighted. Without data, decisions would be made haphazardly. Space-sourced data was of huge economic value.

Regarding the DSI, he reported that the department’s new decadal plan had a number of focus areas. These included agriculture, energy, the green economy, health, manufacturing, mining and minerals beneficiation, space, and water and waste management. He noted that space was involved in nearly all, if not all, of them.

For example, by means of digitalisation, it should be possible to provide teaching in the most rural of villages. And he did not think that the country had even scratched the surface regarding ehealth opportunities – if there was no doctor in a village, why not use space-based technologies to provide medical services?

Concerning the use of space data for spatial development, he noted: “We have to be able to provide solutions that are local, relevant and in context.” They were also seeking to use space data to increase public safety and security. Space science could also help South Africa protect its marine environment and resources.

There was also a need to use space to advance the development of the whole continent. This included the development of African space services, instead of always having to buy these in from outside.