Scroll Top

Speakers

Speakers

Keynote Speakers

Prof Thomas Sterling

Senior Research Scientist
Texas Advanced Computing Center
University of Texas – Austin

Read Bio
Prof Barry Irwin

Noroff University College

Read Bio
Ms Licia Florio

NORDUnet

Presentation title: Building global federated infrastructure in the R&E community

Read Bio
Mr Warren Hero

South African Revenue Service

Cyberinfrastructure Collaboration: Towards Accelerated Impact – The Role of Being a Good Ancestor

Read Bio
Prof Birali Runesha

University of Chicago

Tackling the Challenges of Reproducibility and Data Sharing in Computational Science

Read Bio
Dr Utz-Uwe Haus

HPE

Challenges and Opportunities of HPC in the age of AI

Read Bio
Dr Jean-Laurent Phillipe

Intel

Read Bio

Invited Speakers

Ms Stephanie Landman

South African Weather Service

Read Bio
Dr Regina Maphanga

Council for Scientific and Industrial Reseaerch

Read Bio
Prof Özlem Tastan Bishop

Rhodes University

Read Bio
Prof Lyudmila Moskaleva

University of the Free State

Read Bio
Prof Babatunde Abiodun

University of Cape Town

Read Bio
Ms Nomcebo Motsa

University of Pretoria

Read Bio
Prof Johan van der Spuy

Stellenbosch University

Read Bio
Ms Janine Schoombie

University of Pretoria

Read Bio
Prof Mario Santos

University of the Western Cape

Read Bio
Dr Katlego Phoshoko

Data Intensive Research Initiative of South Africa (DIRISA)

Read Bio
Ms Lungile Nkosi

Chisquares

Read Bio
Dr Claris Siyamayambo

University of Johannesburg

Read Bio
Mr Hlaudi Daniel Masethe

Tshwane University of Technology (TUT)

Read Bio
Prof. Nobert Jere

University of Fort Hare

Read Bio
Mr Sonwabo Mdwaba

Pan African Information Communication Technology Association

Read Bio
Dr Ridhwaan Suliman

Next Generation Enterprises and Institutions Cluster, CSIR

Read Bio
Mr Siphendulwe Zaza

Rhodes University

Read Bio
Dr Molemi Rauwane

Nelson Mandela University

Read Bio
Dr Ndanduleni Lethole

University of Forth Hare

Read Bio
Dr Njabulo Gumede

Walter Sisulu University

Read Bio
Mr Dan Olds

Olds Research

Read Bio
Prof Luzango Mfupe

CSIR

Read Bio
Muzi Matyila

CSIR

Read Bio
Kirodh Boodhraj

CSIR

Read Bio
Lindokuhle Mdletshe

INNOBIZ Group

Read Bio
Dr Olalekan Ogunleye

University of Mpumalanga

Read Bio
Dr Dawn Mahlobo

SAWS

Read Bio
Mawande Mongo

ALTRON

Read Bio
Dr Audrey Masizana

University of Botswana

Read Bio
Daniëlle Seymour

SAEON

Read Bio
Mr Mark Jacobson

SAEON

Read Bio
Dr More Manda

DIRISA / CSIR

Read Bio
contact us

For programme related inquiries contact:

Dr Werner Janse Van Rensburg

Research Manager: CHPC

T: +27 83 381 5907  E: wjvrensburg@csir.co.za

contact us

For general logistics and sponsorship inquiries contact:

Ms. Nox Moyake

Communications Manager: CHPC

T: +27 72 026 6762  E: nmoyake@csir.co.za

Prof Thomas Sterling

Senior Research Scientist
Texas Advanced Computing Center
University of Texas – Austin

Dr. Thomas Sterling is a Senior Research Scientist and Director of the Department of Advanced Future Computing at the Texas Advanced Computing Center at the University of Texas at Austin. For the previous 13 years he was a Full Professor at Indiana University, Bloomington, School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering. Since receiving his Ph.D from MIT as a Hertz Fellow in 1984, Dr. Sterling has engaged in applied research in parallel computing system structures, semantics, and operation in industry, government labs, and academia. Professional affiliations have included Harris Corp., IDA Supercomputing Research Center, NASA (GSFC, JPL), Un. of Maryland, Caltech, and LSU. Dr. Sterling is best known as the “father of Beowulf” for his pioneering research in commodity/Linux cluster computing for which he shared the Gordon Bell Prize in 1997. His current research is associated with innovative extreme scale computing through memory-centric non von Neumann architecture concepts to accelerate dynamic graph processing for AI including Machine Learning. Dr. Sterling was the recipient of the 2013 Vanguard Award, is a Fellow of the AAAS, and has been inducted in the Space Technologies Hall of Fame. Sterling is the co-author of seven books and holds six patents. Most recently, he co-authored the introductory textbook, “High Performance Computing”, published by Morgan-Kaufmann in 2018 which is going into 2nd edition this year.

Prof Barry Irwin

Noroff University College

Barry  Irwin  started  off  as  a  Systems  and  Network administrator at the dawn of the millennium and tripped and fell into the security field. Finding nothing on the market that met the operational needs, he led the development and deployment of an open-source derived firewalling system in the early 2000’s for a global telecoms operator. He returned to academia and has spent the last 21 years working in academia on research in the larger information security field, often returning to his first love of packets and network traffic analysis.

He has significant experience in, and a passion for training

the next generation of security professionals within academia and a cross section of public and private sector industry.  His current areas of research include network

traffic analysis, data visualisation, web-based malware, botnet identification and anti-phishing tools. Prior to relocating to Norway in 2019, he developed and headed a very successful information security focused postgraduate program at Rhodes University, South Africa. He has a love of military history especially as it relates to codes, ciphers and espionage, and is a somewhat dormant rhykenologist.

Ms Licia Florio

NORDUnet

Licia Florio is a Senior Strategy and Policy Officer with about 20 year’s

experience on deploying trust and identity infrastructures, on managing complex programs and bridging technical and policy domains.

Licia has led most of the activities that make up the current European

and global authentication and authorisation landscape for research and education. Currently she is the project coordinator for the AARC TREE Project and she Is managing the operational quality assurance in

the context of the EOSC EU Node Service deliver.

The title of her talk is: ‘Building global federated infrastructure in the R&E community’

Mr Warren Hero

South African Revenue Service

Warren Hero is currently a Group Executive at SARS responsible for the Architecture and Design of Segments, Products and Process. His mandate is to focus the organization on customer experience and achieving the SARS Mandate. Warren’s experience spans both the public and private sectors, having inter alia worked in banking, technology and, more recently, professional services.
Warren has been described as a well-rounded executive and an intellectual with a deep understanding of technology and a passion for adding strategic value. He is the recipient of various accolades, such as the High-Performance Team of the Year at the 2023 CIO SA Awards, the Innovation Leader of 2023 from the Future Leaders Forum and Enterprise CxO of the Year award at the AfricaCom Awards in 2019 and served as a guest lecturer on digital transformation and technology trends at the University of Cape Town and Wits Business Schools. Warren is currently the CEO of the Institute of Chartered IT Professionals (SA) and a Board member of the Stockholm School of IT Egovlab.

Talk Title: Cyberinfrastructure Collaboration: Towards Accelerated Impact – The Role of Being a Good Ancestor

Prof Hakizumwani Birali Runesha

University of Chicago

Dr. Hakizumwami Birali Runesha is the Associate Vice President for Research Computing and founding Director of the Research Computing Center (RCC) at The University of Chicago. He is the former Director of Scientific Computing and Applications at the University of Minnesota Supercomputing Institute, Research Associate at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Assistant Professor in the Civil Engineering Department at the University of Kinshasa. Dr Runesha has more than 28 years of experience in high performance computing, data science and scientific software development. His research interests are in sparse numerical libraries, finite element analysis, AI/Deep Learning, and reproducibility of scientific research. He is the co-Chair of the US National Science Foundation (NSF) Advisory committee on Cyberinfrastructure, member of the National Council of Science and Technology (NCST), member of the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) pilot subcommittee, member of Lenovo/Intel Project Everyscale, member of the African Center of Excellence in Internet of Things (ACEIoT) International Scientific Advisory Board (ISAB), member of the Reimagining Climate Governance in the Digital Age advisory committee and former president of the Great Lakes Consortium for Petascale Computing (GLCPC).

Talk Title: Tackling the Challenges of Reproducibility and Data Sharing in Computational Science

Dr Utz-Uwe Haus

HPE

Utz-Uwe Haus, Head of the HPE HPC/AI EMEA Research Lab (ERL), studied mathematics and computer science at the Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin) and holds a doctorate in mathematics from the University of Magdeburg (Germany). He worked on nonstandard applications of mathematical optimization in chemical engineering, material science, and systems biology. After five years as senior researcher at the Department of Mathematics of ETH Zürich, he co-founded CERL, the CRAY EMEA Research Lab in 2015, which he transformed into the EMEA part of Hewlett Packard Labs. His current interests focus on enabling middleware for sustainable and secure usage of HPC systems and digital twins.
His current job title is Distinguished Technologist, Head of HPE HPC/AI EMEA Research Lab

Talk Title: Challenges and Opportunities of HPC in the age of AI

Dr Jean-Laurent Phillipe

Intel

Dr. Jean-Laurent Philippe is the CTO for Intel EMEA. He has been with Intel 30 years where he has held multiple positions in technical support and technical sales. He has managed several teams and groups in technical presales. Most recently he was the Director for HPC at Intel EMEA. He holds a PhD from INPG (Grenoble, France) in computer science (automatic parallelization for distributed-memory supercomputers) and applied mathematics (cryptography). Jean-Laurent Philippe also owns 2 patents in Japan on automated parallelization techniques.

Talk Title: Intel AI in Action at the 2024 Olympics: Deployments and Benefits for your Business

Ms Stephanie Landman

South African Weather Service

Ms. Stephanie Landman is a meteorologist at the South African Weather Service, where she serves as the Lead Scientist for the Post-Processing, Verification, and Ensembles group. In this capacity, she leads the implementation and operationalisation of short- to medium-range numerical forecasting systems on high-performance computing infrastructure. Her work includes the development of advanced post-processing techniques to optimise numerical forecasts and observational data, ensuring the delivery of accurate and actionable forecasts.
Her primary research interests focus on weather forecast uncertainties, particularly forecast evaluation and verification. In addition to her operational and research duties, Ms. Landman is a part-time lecturer at the University of Pretoria, where she teaches a BSc (Honours) Meteorology course on the applications of Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) systems and co-supervises MSc students.
She has contributed to numerous scientific publications on numerical weather forecasting and verification methodologies, co-authoring scientific guides in these fields. She is actively engaged in various regional and international initiatives, contributing to projects on capacity building, implementing global and limited-area NWP systems, forecast verification, and using ensemble prediction products for operational forecasting.

Dr Regina Maphanga

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research

Regina Maphanga is a Principal Researcher and Research Group Leader of Design and Optimisation Research Group at the Next Generation Enterprises and Institutions Cluster of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa. She is a Domain Leader of the Department of Science and Innovation Foundational Digital Capability Research Platform – Modelling and Simulation Domain.
Her research interests are focused on developing and applying mathematical, computational and machine learning systems and tools, to enable effective decision-making that informs design and optimisation of integrated and complex systems. Thus, she applies multiscale multi-physics and data-driven modelling and simulation techniques to accelerate design and development of materials, products, and processes; optimise processes and materials properties; and effective decision making.
Previously, she was appointed as a Junior Associate at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Italy. Currently, she is appointed as an Associate at the National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences. She is an alumni member of South African Young Academy of Science and Global Young Academy – the voice of the young scientists around the world. As part of community service, Regina is an Honorary Secretary and Executive Council Member for South African Institute of Physics, a member for C20 Commission on Computational Physics of International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), International Advisory Board Member of IUPAP Conference on Computational Physics, amongst many others.

Talk Title: Engineering Strategies for Perovskites Materials

Prof Özlem Tastan Bishop

Rhodes University

Özlem is full Professor in structural bioinformatics at Rhodes University, South Africa and distinguished adjunct Professor at Saveetha University, Chennai, India. She received her BSc degree in Physics from Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey. Then she moved to the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at the same University for her MSc degree. She obtained her PhD from Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics and Free University, Berlin, Germany in 2003. While doing her PhD, Özlem became interested in structural biology, and during her postdoctoral positions (Texas University, USA; University of Western Cape and University of Pretoria, South Africa) she gained experience in structural bioinformatics as well as structural biology. In 2009, Özlem took up an academic position at Rhodes University, South Africa. She established the Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi) in 2013. She has graduated 27 PhD and 40 MSc students since she joined Rhodes University. She received the Vice Chancellor’s Distinguished Senior Research award for 2020 and South African Society for Bioinformatics (SASBi) Silver Award, 2022. She serves on the Editorial Board for PLOS One and Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences and Frontiers in Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Biological Modeling and Simulation Section, and she is an Advisory Board member of F1000Research Bioinformatics Gateway.
Özlem’s broad research interest is structural bioinformatics and its applications to drug design and development. Her recent interest is in the allosteric mechanisms of proteins and understanding the effects of nonsynonymous single nucleotide variations on protein structure and function. She has published over 100 research articles.

Talk Title: Drug Design, Resistance and Metabolisms through CHPC

Prof Lyudmila Moskaleva

University of the Free State

Lyudmila V. Moskaleva is an Associate Professor at the University of the Free State, South Africa, in the Department of Chemistry. She received her PhD in Physical Chemistry in 2001 from Emory University, USA, and her MSc in Chemistry in 1997 from the Higher Chemical College of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia. In 2002-2006 she was an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow and a postdoctoral fellow at Technische Universität München, Germany. From 2009 to 2018 she was a principal investigator funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) at Universität Bremen, Germany, and since 2013 till 2023 also a project leader in the DFG Transregio Research Unit NAGOCAT devoted to a comprehensive study of nanoporous gold as a catalyst. Her group investigates surface reactivity of solids at the atomic level using first-principles quantum-chemical methods, molecular dynamics, statistical theory, microkinetic modeling, and thermodynamics. She holds a C1 rating from the National Research Foundation and has published more than 80 articles and book chapters. She currently serves on the editorial board of Scientific Reports and is a Working Group 3 co-leader in the European COST Action CA21101 “COSY” (Confined Molecular Systems).

Talk Title: Computational modelling of functional materials and chemical reactivity using molecular dynamics, DFT and wave-function-based approaches

Prof Barry Irwin

University of Cape Town

Babatunde Abiodun is a Professor of Climate Science, the Co-Director of the Nansen-Tutu Centre for Marine Environmental Research, and the interim chairholder of the South Africa National Research Chair in Ocean & Atmospheric Modelling at University of Cape Town. He obtained his PhD through a joint programme between the Federal University of Technology Akure (Nigeria) and Upsala University (Sweden) and did his postdoctoral research at Iowa State University (USA). He was also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (USA). His expertise is in climate model developments and applications. His research interest focuses on regional climate issues, including climate modelling, climate variability and change, land-atmosphere interaction, and solar radiation management. He has led a wide range of projects on weather and climate extremes, seasonal forecasting, climate change projections, impacts of geoengineering, and building climate resilience at regional and local scales. He has developed a global climate model capable of adaptative resolution, which has been key in regional climate studies, such as understanding tropical cyclones in the South-West Indian Ocean and assessing the impact of oceans on southern African rainfall. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers in international journals and graduated more than 40 postgraduate students. His publications have received prestigious awards like the Stanley Jackson Award at South African Society for Atmospheric Sciences (SASAS) Conference and the Best Research Presentation Award at World Climate Research Programme (WRCP) Open Science Conference. He is a lead author in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 5th Assessment Report and a lead author in the Global Environment Outlook’s 6th Assessment Report. He has served on the editorial board of the Springer Nature Applied Sciences Journal, the Advances in Statistical Climatology, Meteorology and Oceanography Journal, and the Progress in Earth and Planetary Science Journal. He is an Advisory Board Member of the American Geographical Union’s initiative on the Ethical Framework for Climate Intervention. He is also a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf).

Talk Title: Simulating Potential Impacts of Solar Radiation Modification on African Climate

Ms Nomcebo Motsa

University of Pretoria

Ms Nomcebo Motsa is lecturer in Chemical Engineering (2021) and a PhD student in the University of Pretoria (UP), South Africa. She obtained her BEng(Chemical), BEng(Hons)(Chemical) and MEng(Chemical, Water Utilisation Specialisation) degrees at the University of Pretoria. She also holds a BSc in Maths & Chemistry.
Nomcebo is a member of the Golden Key Honour society and the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA). She has worked in industry as a process engineer and is currently lecturing Process Dynamics at UP. Her research is situated in the field of clean energy particularly hydrogen production and water treatment. She runs a research team of masters, honours and final year students specialising on catalysis design for hydrogen production. At UP she is part of ‘Women in Engineering’ encouraging girls to pursue engineering. She is also a member of the marketing committee which advertises the benefits of studying a chemical engineering degree to high school students.

Prof Johan van der Spuy

Stellenbosch University

Johan van der Spuy obtained his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Stellenbosch University in 2011. He previously worked for about 10 years in South African industry and is currently employed at Stellenbosch University, lecturing fluid mechanics and turbomachinery.
His research focus is turbomachinery, primarily large axial flow fans and centrifugal compressors for micro gas turbines.

Ms Janine Schoombie

University of Pretoria

Janine has recently finalised her PhD studies at the University of Pretoria. After completing her MSc in Aeronautical Engineering at Wits, Janine joined the 72nd expedition team on Marion Island in 2015, as a birder for the Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology (UCT). She then honed her skills as an aerodynamicist at the CSIR before joining the 76th Marion Island expedition team in 2019, this time looking at the ecological effects of wind on Marion Island.
In her PhD work, Janine studied the effect of changing winds on the flight capabilities of Grey-headed Albatrosses breeding on Marion Island. Janine has a strong passion for cross-disciplinary research, specifically using engineering tools to facilitate robust and meaningful research across conservation and environmental science.

Talk Title: Computational Insights into Wind Patterns and Albatross Mortality

Prof Mario Santos

University of the Western Cape

Prof. Mario Santos is a full professor at the University of the Western Cape, holds a SARChI chair funded by the NRF as well as an NRF A-rating and is the director of the Centre for Radio Cosmology at UWC. He did his undergraduate studies at the University of Lisbon, obtained an MSc from the University of Cambridge and a PhD from the University of Oxford. He then got a postdoctoral fellowship at UC Davis before moving back to Lisbon in 2005, where he stayed as a senior researcher until he moved to UWC in 2013.
He has been involved with the SKA since its early days and was the SKA Cosmology science working group chair. His work focuses on observational cosmology with radio telescopes, in particular the ones being deployed in South Africa.

Talk Title: Cosmology with radio telescopes: finding a needle in the datastack

Dr Katlego Phoshoko

Data Intensive Research Initiative of South Africa (DIRISA)

Dr. Katlego W. Phoshoko is the Data Services and Applications Manager at DIRISA, part of South Africa’s CSIR. Dr. Phoshoko leads national ICT data infrastructure for data-intensive research and previously served as Principal Systems Scientist at the University of Limpopo. He holds a PhD in Physics and numerous professional certifications in data analysis, project management, and strategic leadership.

Ms Lungile Nkosi

Chisquares

Ms. Nkosi is a PhD candidate at the University of Pretoria, specializing in food insecurity and health promotion. With a background in Dietetics and a Master of Public Health, she leads research initiatives and communicates scientific insights. At Chisquares, she focuses on leveraging AI and data-driven approaches to advance public health research. In line with Chisquares’ vision, she is dedicated to empowering early-career researchers with innovative tools and support, ensuring a seamless journey from data collection to publication.

Dr Claris Siyamayambo

University of Johannesburg

Dr. Claris Siyamayambo is a mathematical statistician and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the SAMRC/UJ Pan African Centre for Epidemics Research. With a PhD in Statistics, she specializes in applying 4IR technologies to STI diagnosis in Sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Claris brings over 20 years of teaching and research experience in Mathematics and Statistics.

Mr Hlaudi Daniel Masethe

Tshwane University of Technology (TUT)

Mr. Hlaudi Daniel Masethe, an academic lecturer and section head for Data Science at Tshwane University of Technology. He is pursuing his PhD, focusing on Word Sense Disambiguation and its challenges in Natural Language Processing. His research interests include Data Science, AI in Cybersecurity, and Big Data Analytics.

Prof Nobert Jere

University of Fort Hare

Nobert is an Associate Professor at the University of Fort Hare with a PhD in Computer Science. His research focuses on AI, big data, and machine learning, aimed at creating sustainable digital solutions for disadvantaged communities. Nobert has published over 50 articles and is an NRF-rated researcher.

Mr Sonwabo Mdwaba

Pan African Information Communication Technology Association

Mr. Sonwabo M. Mdwaba if the founder and President of the Pan African Information Communication Technology Association (PAICTA). With over 26 years of experience in the ICT industry, he has led impactful youth programs across Africa, focusing on digital skills development and entrepreneurship. As a visionary leader, Mr. Mdwaba continues to drive innovation through partnerships, spearheading initiatives like the PAICTA Smart Digital Innovation Centre of Excellence in Gqeberha.

Dr Ridhwaan Suliman

Next Generation Enterprises and Institutions Cluster, CSIR

Dr Ridhwaan Suliman is a Principal Researcher in the Operational Intelligence group at the CSIR and an Associate at the National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences. With experience in the Aeronautics and Defence Industry, he has recently focused on analyzing Covid-19 data to inform decision-making and policy. Ridhwaan has published in both local and international journals and has been featured in various media outlets.

Mr Siphendulwe Zaza

Rhodes University

Siphendulwe Zaza is a talented scholar pursuing an MSc in Applied Mathematics at Rhodes University. Her research focuses on integrating AI and machine learning to detect anomalies in acoustic telemetry data. Siphendulwe is also a member of the Rhodes University AI Research Group and has presented her work on predicting wine quality at an international conference.

Dr Molemi Rauwane

Nelson Mandela University

Dr Rauwane is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Science, Department of Botany, at the Nelson Mandela University, South Africa. She holds a PhD degree in Plant Biotechnology from the University of the Witwatersrand, and postdoctoral fellowship from the University of South Africa. Dr Rauwane joined the Nelson Mandela University in 2022, where she is lecturing 2nd, 3rd and Hons modules in Plant Biotechnology and Physiology.
Her research expertise lies in plant molecular biology using omics tools/technologies, with an emphasis of understanding interactions between plants and biotic/abiotic factors for resistance/tolerance breeding purposes in crops such as cassava, wheat, sweetpotato and common bean. Dr Rauwane has authored several papers during her journey as a researcher, including publications in PLoS One; Frontiers, Toxins; Microorganisms; South African Journal of Plant and Soil, and Applied Sciences, among others. The papers contribute to the understanding in plant-biotic/abiotic interactions in crops of economic importance. She has also served as a reviewer to journals such as BMC Genomics, PLos One, Molecular Biology Reports and Functional Plant Biology, among others. In addition, she serves as executive committee member of the African Phytopathology Group, and Secretary-Treasurer of the American Phytopathological Society – African Division.

Talk Title: Unravelling plant-biotic/abiotic stress using computational biology and bioinformatics tools.

Dr Ndanduleni Lethole

University of Fort Hare

Ndanduleni Lethole obtained his PhD in Physics in 2016 from the University of Limpopo. He is currently serving as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Physics at the University of Fort Hare. His research work focuses on employing Density Functional Theory (DFT) to investigate various properties of solid-state materials such as magnetic alloys and positive electrodes for rechargeable batteries. He has thus published more than 20 articles and conference proceedings in DHE-accredited peer-reviewed journals.

Dr Njabulo Gumede

Walter Sisulu University

Dr. N.J. Gumede is currently appointed as a Senior Lecturer and Researcher within the Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences at Walter Sisulu University (WSU). He received his Doctorate in Chemistry from the Durban University of Technology in 2016, under the supervision of Professor K Bisetty and co-supervision of Professor Salvador Sagrado from the University of Valencia, Spain.
In 2020, he embarked on a study visit during his sabbatical at the Institute Pascale in Italy, directed by Dr. Alfredo Budillon. As a Senior Lecturer in Organic Chemistry, Dr. Gumede possesses 16 years of comprehensive experience encompassing teaching, research, institutional, and administrative roles. He is actively involved in collaborative projects with Professors Parvesh Singh (UKZN), Winston Nxumalo (UL), Samantha Gildenhuys (UNISA), and Drs. Bakusele Kabane (DUT) and Fortunate Mokoena (NWU) within South Africa. Moreover, he sustains international collaborations with Dr. Alfredo Budillon (Institute Pascale – Italy), Professors Jan de Lorenzi (Mckenzie Presbyterian University – Brazil), and Khalid Karrouchi (Mohamad V University – Morocco).
Dr. Gumede has secured intellectual property rights in national phases for treatments related to prostate and breast cancer. He has effectively co-supervised an MSc student from the University of Limpopo, who graduated in 2021, as well as two MSc students from Northwest University. Presently, he supervises an MSc student and a PhD student at WSU, co-supervises a Ph.D. candidate from UL, and hosts one Postdoctoral Research Fellow at WSU. His scholarly activities are financed through the RSA-NRF/Italy Bilateral Grant and the National Research Foundation’s Competitive Program for Rated Researchers (CPRR). Dr. Gumede has attained a Scopus and Google h-index of 8, reflecting the influence of his research contributions. His research team employs High-Performance Computing platforms and software to design and anticipate the binding modes and affinities of new molecular entities (NMEs) pertinent to prostate cancer, breast cancer, diabetes, malaria, SARS-CoV-2, and bacterial investigations. These NMEs are subsequently prioritized for synthesis at WSU and assessed for biological activities within the laboratories of collaborating researchers. He has disseminated a total of 18 research articles in prestigious international academic journals.

Talk Title: Molecular Modelling in Research: From Basic Research Methods to Advanced Research

Mr Dan Olds

Olds Research

Dan Olds is a veteran of the High Performance Computing industry with more than 25 years of experience in the high-end server market and as an industry analyst. His early career included positions stints with Sequent Computing, Sun Microsystems, and IBM, before starting his own industry analyst firm, Gabriel Consulting Group (GCG). At GCG, Dan was one of the first analysts to perform deep dive surveys to discover how real-world users were using systems and how they evaluated vendors.
In 2021, Dan was named Chief Research Officer at industry analyst firm Intersect360 Research where he led research operations and data analysis, plus provided clients with strategic consulting. He recently founded Olds Research to address what he calls the coming “Data Center Perfect Storm” and help them understand and address data center challenges with cutting edge HPC technology. An authority on technology trends and customer sentiment, Dan Olds is a frequently quoted expert in industry and business publications.
Dan is also a long-time supporter of Student Cluster Competitions, traveling around the world to cover the action – and has a big soft spot for the CHPC South Africa event. He also founded the newest cluster competition, the annual Winter Classic Invitational competition, which exclusively features US based HBCUs and Hispanic Serving Institutions.

Prof Luzango Mfupe

CSIR

Luzango Mfupe is a Principal Researcher at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) within the Next Generation Enterprises and Institutions cluster. He is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering, specializing in Telecommunications technologies. His research focuses on improving spectrum utilization efficiency and the capacity of national wireless ICT infrastructures, aiming to reduce the cost to communicate, bridge the digital divide in hard-to-reach, low-income rural communities.

Luzango is a renowned expert in Dynamic Spectrum Access and Management. He is a leader and co-inventor of the CSIR TVWS spectrum-sharing technology, which has obtained regulatory approval in South Africa (2021), the United Kingdom (2016), and Tanzania (2022) to lower communication costs.

As a Principal Investigator, Luzango leads a portfolio of RD&I projects and initiatives, funded by South Africa’s national government and international organizations such as FCDO and UNDP. These projects have significantly impacted the development of ICT-focused SMMEs, creating job opportunities for women and youth in underserved communities.

Luzango has contributed to key national strategic policy documents, including the Recommended South African Strategy for 5G and Future and Emerging Technologies and the Findings Documents and Position Paper on the Framework for Dynamic Spectrum Access and Opportunistic Spectrum Management.

In the SADC region, Luzango has advised the Ministry of ICT in Tanzania on TVWS utilization for affordable broadband services in rural areas, facilitated the provision of CSIR TVWS technology to the University of Dar es Salaam, and contributed to the SADC Digital Transformation Strategy in 2018.

Luzango was a visiting scholar at the European University in Cyprus in 2019 and participated in the European Union’s IRACON project activities, successfully supervising postgraduate students.

Since 2019, he has been the Vice Chair of the IEEE DySPAN-SC Working Group P1900.6, developing global standards for “Spectrum Sensing Interfaces and Data Structures for Dynamic Spectrum Access and other Advanced Radio Communication Systems.” He also co-convenes the South African 5G Forum R&D WG.

Luzango is an Adjunct Professor at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) in Tanzania, supervising and training postgraduate students. He has co-supervised PhD and Master’s students from various universities, including Wits, TUT, EUC Cyprus, and AAiT Ethiopia, and mentors CSIR candidate researchers. He has authored and co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed conference papers, articles, book chapters, and journals, and several CSIR Technology Demonstrators in innovative digital technologies.

He holds patents on an intelligent channel allocation technique for reconfigurable white space radios, granted in five territories worldwide. He also contributed to developing the global IETF standard “Protocol for Access White Space” databases (PAWS) RFC 7545.

Luzango has spoken at numerous local and international workshops, symposiums, and meetings as an invited and keynote speaker. In 2021, he was co-General Chair and Organizing Chair of the IEEE flagship conference in Africa, AFRICON 2021. In 2023, he was invited by the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa to speak about the Fourth Industrial Revolution during the inaugural session of the Parliamentary committee on the 4IR youth campaign.

 

Luzango is a recipient of several scientific awards, including the prestigious National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) award in 2019, won under the category “Innovations and their Research and/or Development by teams, individuals, or organizations” for the Smart Spectrum Sharing Team.

Muzi Matyila

CSIR

Muzi Matyila is currently a Senior Technologist at the CSIR in the Software Architecture and Solutions group under the NextGen Enterprises and Institutions cluster. He currently works as a software developer and in line with the group, is focusing on projects supporting a capable state. Some of the major projects he has worked on include the Research and Development Survey Management System, ePrescribing and the National Recordal System, now referred to as the Indigenous Knowledge Registration, wherein he was part of  a team leading to the culmination of the Indigenous Knowledge Act 6 of 2019. Currently he is involved in the SEIMS project towards the digitalisation of the DSI Science Engagement Programme for the assessment of the programme’s impact, optimal and transparent accountability by the DSI on public funds. He is a Master’s graduate in Computing from UNISA and is based in Pretoria. His skills span different areas of Software Engineering from development and design, to quality assurance and stakeholder engagement. He is passionate about team cohesion and is dedicated to streamlining processes, efficiently achieving team goals and resolving project challenges. You can contact him on his email address, pmatyila@csir.co.za.

Kirodh Boodhraj

CSIR

Kirodh Boodhraj is currently a researcher at the CSIR in the Geospatial Modelling and Analyses group. His work primarily focusses on scientific coding (backend and front-end development) for projects mainly relating to adding capability to the state. Some of his major projects include maintaining AFIS (Advanced Fire Information System), CALC (Computer Automated Land Cover) and a Community Safety mobile app. He graduated from UCT with a Honours in Applied Mathematics and Masters in Physical Oceanography. He has skills in numerical modelling, handling most types of datasets, GIS (Geospatial Information Systems), full stack development and devOps. He is originally from Emalahleni but is now based in Cape Town. He loves his gardening, playing of musical instruments, hiking and has a dog that a cross between a short German Shepard and border collie.

You can contact him by emailing kboodhraj@csir.co.za.

Lindokuhle Mdletshe

INNOBIZ Group

Mr. Lindokuhle Mdletshe is the founder and Chief Enabler of INNOBIZ Group (Pty) Ltd.
He holds an MSc in Chemistry from the University of Johannesburg and is an experienced project manager, research scientist, and educator. With a solid background in nanotechnology, catalysis, reactor technology, and industrial process chemistry, he has
a proven track record in the research and innovation sectors. He is also highly skilled in technology and innovation management, strategic planning, and project management.
Mr. Mdletshe has participated in International High-Level Policy Dialogues on Science, Technology, and Innovation as part of both South African and European Commission delegations. Known for his strong values and commitment to family and society, he is
deeply dedicated to the socio-economic transformation of South Africa. He is passionate
about entrepreneurship, start-ups development, leadership, and gender equality.
Currently, Mr. Mdletshe leads an international consortium with partners from South Africa, Turkey, Scotland, and India. This group is working on developing a smartphone-based solution for soil fertility testing using data analytics, aimed at boosting productivity for small-scale crop farmers.

Dr Olalekan Ogunleye

University of Mpumalanga

Dr Olalekan Samuel Ogunleye is a lecturer and researcher at the School of Computing and Mathematical Science at the University of Mpumalanga. His primary research interests are Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science, Big Data, Cybersecurity, Mobile application development, and the Internet of Things. He was formerly the Head of Information Technology at the National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOH). Dr Olalekan Samuel has worked as the Head of Mobile Development, Strategy and Business Innovations at Eyethenticate Computervision Lab, An Enterprise Incubation by the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. He was also a Senior Mobile and Enterprise Application Developer at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Pretoria, South Africa. He was also the Academic Content Developer for Google Sub-Saharan Africa, covering Eight Countries (Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroon, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana and Cote D’ Ivoire) in Africa. During his time at CSIR, Dr. Olalekan took an interest in and developed expertise in Cybersecurity, particularly in fighting Cyber Crime, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and Data Science System Development and Implementation, ICDL for Organization Development, the Internet of Things and ICT4D for Social Development. Dr Olalekan Samuel has 18 years of Lecturing experience, having worked for Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Mangosuthu University of Technology, Tshwane University of Technology, Management College of Southern Africa, Monash University, University of Botswana, etc.

Dr Olalekan has a B.Tech (Hons) degree in Computer Science from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology. He obtained his MSc in Computer Science from the University of Cape Town (UCT) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the Management College of Southern Africa (MANCOSA). He obtained his PhD in Computing and Information Systems from the University of Cape Town, where he investigated and developed a Framework for Supporting Government Service Delivery using Mobile Technology. Dr Olalekan works as a Part-Time Lecturer at the University of Mpumalanga, South Africa, as an IT Content Creator and freelance Software Developer.

Dr Ogunleye has assisted several financial institutions in identifying, resolving and mitigating cyber threats. He has taught and facilitated Cybersecurity and ICDL courses for executives and workshops for technical personnel of financial institutions, Academic Institutions and Corporate Institutions in South Africa, Botswana, Nigeria, Swaziland, and Uganda. He has successfully supervised over 100 students, including B. Tech, Masters, and PhD students. Dr Olalekan’s interest spans the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Mobile Government, E-Government, M-Commerce, E-Commerce, Enterprise Application Development, IT Governance and ERM Implementation. Dr Ogunleye developed South Africa’s first Mobile Application Development Academic Curriculum.

Dr Dawn Mahlobo

SAWS

Dr Dawn Mahlobo is currently a Senior Manager, Climate Services at SAWS. She oversees operations pertaining to climate data management, data quality control, data dissemination, weather observation network, climate information as well as data analysis research.  Prior to rejoining SAWS, she worked as a lecturer at the Wits School of Education, since April 2020. She holds a PhD in Climatology from Wits University. Her PhD is titled Dynamics of the Hadley cell and its implication on solar energy resources over South Africa, as part of her PhD she used asymmetric diagnostics to quantify the Hadley circulation and its impact to solar energy generation. She did her Postdoctoral studies at the Global Change Institute at Wits University as part of the project which focused on the Onset of Wet-dry Seasonality in Africa. She has served as an expert reviewer for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). She also has worked in various departments of SAWS; as a research scientist (Numerical Weather Prediction), Meteorological Trainer (Weather Observations) and Senior Scientist (Climate Information).

Mawande Mongo

Altron

For the past 20 years, I have worked with most aspects of IT, including software development, software/solution/enterprise architecture, Developer, Analyst and as a Data Scientist as well as technical leadership for large enterprises and OEMs, split between the corporate and consulting sectors. Throughout my career, I have worked in many sectors, those include banking, insurance, Healthcare and, in government. I have also worked for both SAS and IBM being a technical specialist for Data & AI.

My focus is on artificial intelligence and data in the new era of business. I advise clients on enabling data & AI architectures and building analytics platforms. In my current role as a Solutions Architect – at Altron, I lead the adoption of AI/ML Services and data platforms, steer strategic data science and generative AI projects, and promote technical excellence in the AI and data domain. I play a crucial role in transforming the Data strategy within customer organizations, ensuring effective deployment and use of data solutions through unique technical leadership and guidance.

My educational background includes a Honours degree in Mathematical Statistics, Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, and Graduated in General Business Administration and Management (Executive Education) from WITS Business School – Johannesburg.

On a personal note, I enjoy spending time with my two sons. I enjoy cycling and playing on a regular basis. When I get lucky to watch television, I watch sports – football, rugby, and Cricket.

Core Competencies:
• AI/ML Architectures, Data & AI Architectures, Enterprise and Solution Architectures.
• Data Fabric, Data Management (Databases, Data Warehouse & Data Lake), Data Governance
• Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning
• Cloud Computing (IBM Cloud, Microsoft Azure,GCP).
• Technical leadership, Business Administration and Management, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Decision-Making, Negotiation, People Management, Strategic and tactical planning.

Dr Audrey Masizana

Botswana Academy of Sciences (FBAS)

Dr Audrey Masizana is a Senior Scholar and former Head of Department of Computer Science at the University of Botswana. She holds a PhD in Computer Science from UMIST (2004) University of Manchester UK. She is also a Fellow of Botswana Academy of Sciences (FBAS) since 2021 and a Global Health International Scholar of  University of Pennsylvania, USA (2023-2026).

She’s a member of the Executive Committee of the CODATA,  after being re-elected for the second time in October 2023 to serve for 2 years in the International Science Council, she is a strong advocate and passionate of the adoption of Open Data Open Science Policies and Supporting Infrastructures. Currently she is the Chair of the development of the Botswana Open Data Policy. She has served at national bodies such as the National Cyber Security Strategy Development Committee (2016) and its new Implementation Committee (2021). She was also a member of the Technical Advisory, African Open Science Platform 2017-2019.

Ms Daniëlle Seymour

SAEON

Daniëlle is a data enthusiast with a background in GIS and Remote Sensing. She is a Specialist for biological data within the data curation team at SAEON’s uLwazi Node

Daniëlle is a data enthusiast with a background in GIS and Remote Sensing. As a Curation Specialist for biological data within the data curation team at SAEON’s uLwazi Node, she leverages her experience in biodiversity and conservation to advance research through an interdisciplinary approach. Focused on implementing best practices in data standardization for environmental observation, Daniëlle is dedicated to curating large datasets, developing data pipelines, and establishing effective data management procedures.

Mr Mark Jacobson

SAEON

Mark is a System Architect and Python Developer with over 20 years of experience in software engineering. He has worked in a variety of industries from internet hosting and email services to corporate billing and computer-based training.
At SAEON, Mark’s work on the Open Data Platform has enabled the publication of marine and terrestrial observational data in South Africa and has facilitated integration with research data platforms worldwide.
In his spare time Mark enjoys hiking on Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak.

Dr More Manda

DIRISA / CSIR

Dr. More Manda is a scholar and expert in ICT, digital business and business strategy. He holds a PhD in Information Systems, an MBA from the University of the Witwatersrand, and a Master of Information Technology from the University of Pretoria, providing him with a strong foundation in both technical and leadership aspects of digital and information technologies. His professional journey spans various sectors, including Mining, Manufacturing, International Development, Public Sector, Civil Society, and Education. Prior to his current role at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), he was the Executive Manager of Information and Communication Technology at MINTEK, where he led the organization’s digital transformation strategy. Dr. Manda also serves on the board of the Global Centre for Risk, Innovation, and Internet Society, where he contributes to global discussions on digital risk and innovation. Additionally, as a Professor of Practice for Data Science and AI at the University of Johannesburg, he drives academic research and education in these fields. Dr. Manda’s extensive publications on 4IR, digital transformation, e-government, and public policy offer valuable insights into how digital technologies can enhance societal welfare and governance. His work continues to shape the future of digital innovation and its practical applications in the modern world.