South Africa plans to pump R352 million into world-first strategy

South Africa wants to allocate a R352 million budget to invest in an Astro-tourism project in the Northern Cape to foster economic growth and reduce unemployment.

A pilot Astro-tourism project has already been launched in the small town of Carnarvon. However, the goal is to expand the tourism infrastructure in Carnarvon and Sutherland.

Officials from the Department of Tourism and the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation recently briefed a joint sitting of their respective parliamentary portfolio committees about the strategy.

The delegation was led by the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Blade Nzimande, and deputy tourism minister Maggie Sotyu.

Department of Tourism deputy director-general Shamilla Chettiar told the committees that South Africa was the first country to implement a national Astro-Tourism strategy.

She added that public and private sector projects were integrated into the strategy, with input gathered through an extensive public consultation process.

Chettiar said the strategy had three pillars: Indigenous celestial narratives and human capacity development, infrastructure development, and inclusive tourism growth and partnerships.

Regarding indigenous celestial narratives, particular attention will be given to the history and traditions of the Khoisan people.

Human capacity building includes training tour guides. Chettiar said that the purpose of the first pillar was to enhance the transformation and inclusivity of the economic benefits in the Astro-tourism sector.

Infrastructure development includes using existing infrastructure and investing in new infrastructure where needed.

Regarding the third pillar, Chettiar said the objective is to strengthen South Africa’s Astro-tourism competitiveness through deliberate collaboration efforts and destination development.

Becoming the big fish in a small pond

Nzimande said South Africa had established itself as one of the leading nations in the field of astronomy.

In addition to our expertise in radioastronomy and hosting the Square Kilometre Array, he highlighted that South Africa hosted the Global Conference on Astronomy in Cape Town in August 2024, marking the first time the event had been held on the African continent.

Nzimande noted the history of astronomy in South Africa, beginning with the establishment of the Royal Observatory over 200 years ago.

Major milestones included the development of the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) and the MeerKAT Telescope in Carnarvon, a key component of the SKA project.

He acknowledged the support of international partners, including Germany, Italy, and China, in making these advancements possible.

Nzimande also mentioned South Africa’s growing involvement in gamma-ray astronomy through the High-Energy Stereoscopic Telescope based in Namibia.

Nzimande said South Africa’s investment in high-calibre scientific instruments had led to a significant increase in the number of South African astronomers, from 60 to approximately 300 in the past 30 years.

Astro-Tourism, he said, was a niche market that combined astronomical experiences with tourism, offering opportunities to visit sites with dark skies, radio-quiet zones, and visible celestial objects.

Being a niche market means South Africa had an opportunity to capitalise on its competitive advantages in tourism and astronomy to become a significant player in the industry.

Nzimande said an important aspect of the Astro-tourism strategy was to spotlight astronomy’s historical and cultural significance in South Africa.

He said indigenous communities had long engaged in astronomical observations for practical purposes, such as predicting agricultural cycles.

The study of astronomy tapped into valuable indigenous knowledge and traditions, which could be leveraged to enhance Astro-tourism.

Nzimande said investments into the astronomy and tourism sectors would be mutually reinforcing, as visitors interested in astronomy would be exposed to South Africa’s other tourist attractions, such as wildlife.

Visitors to South Africa could potentially become investors in science, technology, and innovation, he added.

Nzimande said that one of the strategy’s objectives was to raise awareness and educate local communities about the importance of astronomy, dark skies, and radio-quiet zones.