SA's Square Kilometre Array spurs a cosmic exploration

South Africa's Karoo desert is set to be the hosting ground for the world's most ambitious science projects to date, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). 

For scientists, the project represents one of the greatest research tools of the century, while for local communities, it's expected to drive job creation and grant communities access to bursaries.

The vast, silent landscape of the Karoo desert is known for its sensitivity to instruments that interfere with radio frequency, including cellphones and smartwatches.

Through the SKA, the area will eventually include nearly 200 satellite dishes across the Northern Cape, building on the success of the 64-dish MeerKAT telescope, which has already delivered more than 500 scientific publications in just seven years.

Construction began in 2022, and five SKA dishes already tower over the desert floor, with more arriving for assembly. 

The project's promise goes beyond astronomy. It has become a symbol of South Africa’s potential on the global stage.

"If you think about what generally gets talked about when South Africa is mentioned, it's generally not always positive," said Pontsho Maruping, managing director of the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO). 

"So just being able to change that narrative about what you can do in a country on the southern tip of Africa doing the most complicated science, building the most technologically advanced instruments, creating capacity of engineers and scientists, it completely changes the narrative about not only what Africa is about in general but also what South Africa is capable of," Maruping added.
 
Last week, the SKA site was thrust into the international spotlight as South Africa hosted the first SKAO Ministerial Council and a G20 Research and Innovation meeting in Carnarvon. 
 
Delegates from 26 countries toured the telescopes, witnessing up close the global project that already counts 16 countries across five continents as contributors.

SKAO Director-General Philip Diamond highlighted that the organisation has awarded nearly €900 million in industrial contracts to date, creating jobs and spin-off industries across its member states.
 
The SKA and MeerKAT telescopes quietly scan the skies for answers to some of humanity’s oldest questions, from the origins of the first galaxies to the possibility of intelligent life.
 
"A lot of people often want to know if we’ve found intelligent life out there,” Maruping says. “We actually have instruments here that analyse the signals from our telescopes and they’re looking for technosignatures. If there is intelligent life, they’re going to need some sort of technology to survive. We haven’t found anything yet, but if there’s any instrument that will, it’s MeerKAT or the SKA."
 
Deputy managing director Adrian Tiplady says the Karoo itself adds a unique dimension:
 
"It’s a very special place not only because of its scientific qualities but the history and evolution of the Karoo as what was once an inland sea that has now left a fossil record. We are then juxtaposing that with a next generation scientific facility that’s going to begin to probe the origins of the universe.”
 
Closer to town, the impact is visible at Carnarvon High School, the only one among four towns in the region offering STEM subjects. Its robotics team, supported by SARAO bursaries, gives learners a chance to stay in the hostel and study towards careers in science.
 

Grade 11 pupil Courtney Links, who has competed internationally, says robotics gave her a dream worth chasing:
 
"I come from a small town where we don't have much opportunities. I want to be like the engineers of SARAO. I want to get into engineering through coding. As a young black lady I'll be able to look back and say I was that, and now I'm this. I don't want to leave this community. I want to help the young girls. I want to come back after studying at varsity and tell them you can also do this."
 
Her determination contrasts with what visitors often see in Carnarvon and nearby Williston: high unemployment, low household incomes, and limited economic activity. 
 
According to the last census statistics, Carnarvon has around 6,612 residents, while Williston is home to roughly 2,940 people, with overall unemployment in Williston estimated at 32% and youth unemployment at around 54%.
 
The majority of households in both towns rely heavily on government social grants, underlining the unevenness of opportunity in these rural Northern Cape communities.

The social grant system also shapes family and community dynamics. In Williston, the local old-age home is struggling financially. 
 
Many elderly residents are frail and depend on state pensions, but families often keep the grants themselves because the pension serves as a vital income source. 
 
This means the old age home receives less funding, leaving it under-resourced, while families balance caring for elders with their own survival.
 
Dr Mlungisi Cele, Director-General of the Department of Science and Technology, acknowledges that gap:
 
"We've come a long way as a department since 1994 but we remain concerned that there are still a number of schools who are not offering STEM subjects because we are depriving young girls and boys of a potential bright future,” he said on the sidelines of the G20 representatives' visit the South African SKA site."
 
While the SKA looks to the stars, life in the surrounding towns remains firmly grounded. 
 
Towns in the Karoo continue to face high unemployment and reliance on government grants, but for some students, robotics and STEM initiatives linked to the project are opening doors that were previously closed.