The 2026 National Research Foundation (NRF) Awards honoured South Africa’s top researchers and scientists at a prestigious ceremony held on Thursday, 3 September 2026, at the Boardwalk Hotel and Casino in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. This year’s event was held under the theme “Building an Inclusive, Impactful and Transformed Research Future”, reflecting the NRF’s Vision 2030 and its five strategic pillars of Transformation, Innovation, Sustainability, Excellence and Impact (TIES4I).
The NRF Awards recognise outstanding achievements by individual researchers and teams whose excellence has significantly advanced science for the benefit of society. Their internationally competitive work is assessed on, among other criteria, its contribution to the field of study, with a particular focus on quality and impact. One of the objectives of the awards is to foster a sustained culture of advancing South Africa’s scientific knowledge and technological innovation by recognising those who use research to improve humanity.
Lifetime achievers Professor Jonathan Jansen and Professor Helen Rees headlined the event that saw high-level academic recognition for scientists who are making strides in their early academic careers; those whose research informed national, continental and global Covid-19 responses; researchers who produced groundbreaking technologies that enable precise drug and bioactive delivery, reduce side effects and improve patient usability; and those whose postgraduate student supervision resulted in double-digit numbers of graduates.
Delivering the keynote address, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Professor Blade Nzimande, said the NRF awards not only honour some of our country’s most outstanding scientists and researchers, but also provide the nation with a sense of the extent of transformation — one of the critical aspects of our country’s public science system. They also presented a platform to reflect on the importance of addressing institutional inequality by spreading public resources evenly across historically disadvantaged institutions, institutions emerging in the post-apartheid era and traditional universities. Nzimande applauded the NRF for its drive to address these gaps through its programmes. “This issue is crucial not for posterity, but for practical reasons: to ensure our country, with its scarce resource base, makes full use of its institutional resources to reach deeper and wider into every corner of South Africa and unleash its full potential,” he said.
“At present, about 63% of NRF funding goes to the 10 universities with the highest research outputs, and 83% of SARChI Chairs are hosted at top-output universities. To broaden participation, strengthen capacity, and deepen structural transformation, earlier this year we awarded 41 new SARChI Chairs, specifically for historically disadvantaged institutions, universities of technology, and new universities. The NRF has also begun implementing the University Programmes and Collaborations initiative, a set of bespoke interventions aimed at improving research and human capital capacity at historically disadvantaged institutions.”
In his welcome address, Professor Ari Sitas, chairperson of the NRF board, honoured the cohort of awarded researchers for pushing the boundaries of knowledge, mentoring and empowering the next generation, and pursuing solutions that address challenges and emerging opportunities. “We are especially encouraged by the growing visibility and success of women and emerging researchers. Their achievements demonstrate that transformation and excellence are mutually reinforcing and essential to building an inclusive, representative research system. Equally important are mentorship, capacity development, interdisciplinary collaboration and inclusive participation,” said Sitas.
NRF acting CEO Dr Angus Paterson stressed that the NRF recognised that society expected more than just quantitatively measured transformation from the national system of innovation, but research that makes a difference to livelihoods as well. “This is why the NRF introduced the Societal Impact Award category in 2024 to recognise research that demonstrates tangible value to society,” he said.
“The strong response to this category this year is encouraging. It tells us that researchers increasingly recognise that the value of knowledge is not measured only by what we publish, but also by what that knowledge enables us to change,” he said. The Societal Impact Award went to Professor Tulio de Oliveira, from the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation at Stellenbosch University; and Dr Cobus van Breda from the Faculty of Education at the University of the Free State.
Paterson concluded, “Whether it is improving lives and communities, informing policy, strengthening the economy, addressing environmental challenges, or opening new possibilities for future generations, research must ultimately connect knowledge with purpose.”
The awards were presented across two categories — NRF ratings-based awards and special awards.
Special awards
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- Professor Jonathan Jansen, Department of Education, Stellenbosch University
- Professor Helen Rees, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of the Witwatersrand
- Research Excellence Award for Next Generation Researchers
- Lwandile Gwebushe, Centre for Radio Astronomy Techniques & Technologies (RATT), Rhodes University
- Takalani Isaac Khorombi, Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, University of Venda
- Nthabiseng Mabale, Digital Media Design, University of Johannesburg
- Luthando Molefe, Discipline of Teacher Education and Professional Development, University of KwaZulu-Natal
- Anathi Msobo, Department of Biochemistry, University of Johannesburg
- Zurika Murray, Department of Genetics, University of the Free State
- Philadelphia Vutivi Ngobeni, Water Research Group, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Cape Town
- Zikhona Ngqula, Anthropology, University of Cape Town
- Soligah Solomons, School of Communication, North-West University
- Marakiya T. Moetlediwa, Health, University of Cape Town
- Research Excellence Award for Early Career/Emerging Researchers
- Dr Edwin Makhado, Department of Chemistry, University of Limpopo
- Professor Samkelo Malgas, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria
- Associate Professor Muthumuni Managa, Department of Chemistry, University of South Africa
- Professor Tlou Grace Manyelo, Department of Agricultural Economics and Animal Production, University of Limpopo
- Dr Isaac Nape, School of Physics, University of the Witwatersrand
- Dr Yeshona Sukai, Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape
- Dr Sesethu Charmaine Tshangana, Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability (iNanoWS), University of South Africa
- Professor Monray Williams, Neurometabolism Research Group, North-West University
- Focussed Research Advancement Award
- Durban University of Technology
- iYunivesithi Walter Sisulu
- Hamilton Naki Award
- Professor Motlalepula Matsabisa, Department of Pharmacology, University of the Free State
- Public Engagement with Research Award
- Associate Professor Tim Forssman, School of Social Sciences, University of Mpumalanga
- Professor Sarojini Nadar, Desmond Tutu SARChI Research Chair in Religion and Social Justice, University of the Western Cape
- Champion of Research Capacity Development and Transformation Award
- Professor Alvaro Viljoen, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology
- Societal Impact Award
- Professor Tulio de Oliveira, Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI); School for Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University
- Dr Cobus van Breda, Faculty of Education, University of the Free State
- Science Team Award
- The Human Evolution Research Institute (HERI), Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town
- Dr Cobus van Breda, Faculty of Education, University of the Free State
- Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform (WADDP), Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of the Witwatersrand
Ratings-based awards
A-rated for the fourth time
- Professor Bert Klumperman, Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, Stellenbosch University
- Professor John N. Maina, Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg
A-rated for the third time
- Distinguished Professor Tebello Nyokong, Department of Chemistry, Rhodes University
- Professor Brenda D. Wingfield, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria
A-rated for the second time
- Professor Emmanuel Iwuoha, HonFRSC, Department of Chemistry, University of the Western Cape
A-rated for the first time
- Professor Yahya Choonara, School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology/Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform, University of the Witwatersrand
- Professor Bruce Mellado, School of Physics, University of the Witwatersrand
- Professor Mario Santos, Centre for Radio Astronomy, University of the Western Cape