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Second Southern African Mountain Conference kicks off with a resounding start in Drakensberg

19 March 2025 | Story Precious Shamase | Photo Andre Damons

The Second Southern African Mountain Conference (SAMC 2025) commenced on Monday, 17 March amid a tangible sense of anticipation and a collaborative spirit at the Champagne Sports Resort, nestled in the heart of the Maloti-Drakensberg. Delegates from across the region and beyond gathered, setting the stage for a week of insightful discussions and collaborative exploration under the theme, ‘Southern African Mountains – Overcoming Boundaries and Barriers.’

Hosted by the University of the Free State (UFS) and its Afromontane Research Unit (ARU), the conference opened with a series of welcome statements that emphasised the global significance of mountain ecosystems. Prof Ralph Clark, SAMC 2025 Conference Chair and Session Chair, initiated the proceedings, setting the tone for a conference focused on actionable solutions.

Collaboration transcends mountain borders

The global reach of the conference was immediately evident, with welcome addresses from key partners. Prof Roland Psenner, President of Eurac Research – speaking on behalf of the Global Mountain Safeguard Programme (GLOMOS) – highlighted the importance of international collaboration. Alex Hickman, Chairman of the African Mountain Research Foundation (AMRF), highlighted the critical work being done on the ground. Notably, a recorded message from Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, in support of the AMRF resonated with attendees, further amplifying the message of the conference.

Prof Hester C. Klopper, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UFS – speaking on behalf of the ARU – stressed the significance of the venue, highlighting its role as a ‘meeting place’ where borders, ecosystems, and diverse stakeholders converge. "This location symbolises the very essence of our conference," Prof Klopper stated, "a space where we transcend boundaries to address the challenges facing our mountain regions".

Welcome statements were also delivered by Sara Manuelli from the Mountain Partnership, Ambassador Mirko Manzoni of the Embassy of Switzerland in South Africa, and Ndapanda Kanime, who represented the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Dr Kelly Cerialo, representing UNESCO – the patron of SAMC 2025 – delivered a welcoming address that highlighted the organisation's commitment to supporting mountain research and conservation. The official opening was conducted by Leluma Matooane, representative of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Sharing insightful books, film, and mountains

Following the official opening, delegates attended a plenary keynote address by Dr Willem Daffue, which delved into critical aspects of mountain research. The morning session also featured a series of book launches, celebrating new publications from ARU and GLOMOS, including Sustainable Futures in Southern Africa's Mountains, Safeguarding Mountain Social-Ecological Systems, A scientific bibliography of the Waterberg, Makgabeng plateau, Blouberg, Soutpansberg and adjacent areas, and Christopher R Conz’s Environment, Knowledge, and Injustice in Lesotho: The Poverty of Progress.

Monday 17 March 2025 will be etched in the annals of Southern African mountain research and storytelling as the documentary film, Qwaqwa: Place of Barriers and Bridges, premiered to a captivated audience at the Second Southern African Mountain Conference (SAMC 2025). Hosted against the breathtaking backdrop of the central Maloti-Drakensberg, the film’s release marked a powerful moment of reflection and a catalyst for crucial dialogue.

Executive produced by Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation at the University of the Free State (UFS), and Prof Jared McDonald, Qwaqwa: Place of Barriers and Bridges offers a poignant and unflinching look at the complex social and environmental realities of the Qwaqwa region. The film, screened on the conference's opening day, served as a compelling visual narrative bridging academic discourse with the lived experiences of mountain communities.

Dialogue, networking, conference continues

Delegates, researchers, and stakeholders from across the globe witnessed the film's debut, recognising its significant contribution to understanding the challenges and opportunities within the Maloti-Drakensberg landscape. The film's premiere was not merely a screening; it was a watershed moment, sparking immediate conversations about the interplay between human activity and the fragile ecosystems of the region.

The film's release at SAMC 2025 highlighted the conference's commitment to fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and bridging the gap between research and real-world impact. By showcasing the human stories embedded in the mountains, Qwaqwa: Place of Barriers and Bridges provided a powerful emotional anchor to the conference's broader discussions on sustainability, conservation, and community resilience.

This premiere will undoubtedly resonate far beyond the conference halls, leaving an indelible mark on the collective understanding of the Maloti-Drakensberg region. The film's legacy will be one of inspiration, prompting further research, advocacy, and collaborative action to safeguard these vital mountain ecosystems for generations to come. The day will go down in history as a moment where film and scholarship intersected to illuminate the heart of the mountains.

The day concluded with a meet-and-greet hosted by the UFS Office for International Affairs, fostering networking and further collaboration among delegates.

The conference continues for the rest of the week, with a full programme of presentations, workshops, and field excursions.

News Archive

UFS Department of Physics offers unique learning experience with on-campus radio telescope

2015-12-14

Athanasius Ramaila, an Honours student in the Department of Physics, and Dr Brian van Soelen, a lecturer from the same department, in the laboratory where the radio telescope is housed in the new wing of the Physics Building on the Bloemfontein Campus of the UFS. The telescope will be used to expose graduate students to the basic techniques of radio astronomy.
Photo: Charl Devenish

The university this year added a four-storey wing to the existing Physics Building on the Bloemfontein Campus. The new development, which includes four lecture halls and four laboratories, complements other world-class facilities such as the X-ray photoelectron spectroscope and the scanning electron microscope.

A unique asset that distinguishes the UFS Department of Physics from other similar institutions, is the Boyden Observatory situated approximately 27 km northeast of Bloemfontein. The observatory houses a powerful 1.5 m optical telescope, and several smaller, but well equipped telescopes.

According to Pieter Meintjes, Professor in the Department of Physics, the observatory has acquired a new addition - a 0.5 m optical telescope donated by the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) to the UFS Astrophysics Group. This optical telescope is one of two powerful optical telescopes used to introduce students to techniques such as photometry and spectroscopy.

“The telescope at Boyden forms an integral part of the Department of Physic’s student training and research programme. Because the UFS is the only university in South Africa operating such a facility, and one of only a few globally, Astrophysics students at the UFS have the unique privilege of having unrestricted access to these telescopes for their MSc and PhD studies,” says Prof Meintjes. In addition, the department has also built a radio telescope as part of a post-graduate student project. The telescope, housed in the new wing of the Physics Building at the Bloemfontein Campus of the UFS, will be used to expose graduate students to the basic techniques of radio astronomy, especially in light of the fact that the SKA is nascent. Prof Meintjes would like to act proactively by grounding his students in the relevant techniques of radio astronomy. The telescope will be used to introduce students to the manner in which radio flux calibrations are performed in order to determine the energy output of an emitting source.

At undergraduate level, the radio telescope will be used, together with optical telescopes in the Astrophysics laboratory, to place students at a high baseline regarding the level of multi-wavelength astrophysics training received at the UFS.

Third-year and Honours students will also have the opportunity of practical training in a research laboratory with 15 computers. The laboratory is equipped with software used to reduce and analyse multi-wavelength data.

“My goal is for the UFS to become the major centre of multi-wavelength astrophysics in South Africa and a key role player in the international arena. To be able to do this, our training should be world class,” Prof Meintjes said.

Aided by its world-class facilities and research, the Department of Physics is competing with the best in the world. Research-wise, a group from the Department of Physics is intensively involved with the SKA Project (Square Kilometre Array), with 3 000 dishes reaching from Carnavon in the Karoo to Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. According to Prof Meintjes, many detailed studies can be conducted with the SKA system of sources, showing major eruptions and mass effluent from the systems. Athanasius Ramaila, a BSc Honours student in Astrophysics at the UFS, has also received a two-year SKA internship, where he will be engaged in the SKA software engineering programme to help with developing software for the telescope.

The UFS Astrophysics Group is focusing on the multi-wavelength study of high-energy astrophysics sources. “This multi-wavelength approach to astrophysics is in line with the recent announcement by government that multi wavelength astrophysics will be the main focus for astrophysics research in South Africa. It is also a very important focus for research in the international arena, as can be seen from the large number of international conferences having a multi-wavelength character,” Prof Meintjes said.

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