The SWEAT Africa Connect: Football Edition brought researchers, entrepreneurs, students and innovation organisations together for an afternoon on the pitch. Behind the friendly competition is a bigger goal: building an African innovation community that continues to connect, collaborate, and create opportunities.

KRISP hosted researchers and industry experts in Durban to explore emerging multi-omics technologies and their potential to shape future research.

Leadership Week opened the African STARS Fellowship with a focus on the self-awareness, purpose and relationships that shape effective leadership. Fellows Harriet Ng’ombe and Nzube Ekpunobi reflect on the lessons they will carry into their careers and the fellowship ahead.

Fezokuhle Khumalo’s next step at Oxford builds on a journey that has expanded her confidence, shaped her research ambitions and strengthened her determination to help African scientists lead solutions to the continent’s health challenges

Dr Gugu Gama on connecting African researchers to shape Africa’s research agenda.

African STARS fellows are using technology transfer to build biotechnology expertise and reduce Africa’s reliance on imported research reagents.

A new deep-learning approach shows that the conditions surrounding a location can reveal dengue suitability that conventional models may miss – potentially improving how countries target surveillance, vector control, and outbreak resources.

Professor Tulio de Oliveira joins a select global group recognised for shaping bioinformatics and computational biology – and for advancing Africa’s contribution to the field.

Bushra Razack brings a background in community development, entrepreneurship, and placemaking to her new collaboration with CERI and SWEAT Africa. Formerly CEO of Philippi Village, she is now working with Prof Tulio de Oliveira and the SWEAT Africa team to explore social impact innovation and township tech. In this article, she shares the experiences that have shaped her approach and what she hopes to bring to this new collaboration.

Professor Tulio de Oliveira, Director of the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) at Stellenbosch University, has won the National Research Foundation’s 2026 Societal Impact Award, recognising the far-reaching contribution of his work to epidemic preparedness and response in South Africa and across Africa. 

Stellenbosch University’s 2026 Data School Hackathon brought more than 120 students together to tackle a real-world data challenge, showcasing how academia–industry partnerships can build skills, spark innovation and prepare the next generation of AI practitioners.

New research across 55 countries shows a substantial decline in PEPFAR-supported HIV treatment in 2025, raising questions about how countries including South Africa will sustain HIV care as external support decreases.

CERI researchers have developed an improved approach to predicting Ebola spillover by combining ecological suitability with human-driven factors including mining, bushmeat activity, forest loss, settlement and conflict.

Fifty early-career scientists from 20 African countries have joined the 2026 African STARS cohort, beginning a programme of scientific training, leadership development, mentorship and collaboration at CERI in Stellenbosch and CARE in Dakar.

Dr Margot Otto has been selected for the 2026–2027 UJMT Fogarty LAUNCH Programme, where she will investigate HIV drug resistance in rural KwaZulu-Natal while developing her expertise in epidemiology, bioinformatics and global health research.

Researchers have shown that defined bacterial starter cultures can successfully ferment mageu, with the addition of yeast shortening fermentation time. The findings also open possibilities for developing the traditional Southern African drink with potential functional health applications.

The KRISP team marked Mandela Day 2026 by volunteering at the CANSA Care Centre in Durban, restoring its vegetable garden to provide fresh produce for patients and residents.

What if cancer screening was not determined primarily by your age, but by changes in your own health over time? Technology entrepreneur and engineer Pieter van Rooyen is exploring how artificial intelligence and existing health data could help shift cancer detection earlier – while making it more affordable for countries such as South Africa. His recent Pro-VC Open Lecture at Stellenbosch University, Ahead of the Tumor: Rewriting the Cancer Timeline, unpacked the thinking behind this approach.

Stellenbosch University's Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) is recruiting a postdoctoral fellow to integrate pathogen genomics with climate and environmental data, modelling the spread of cholera and other climate-sensitive diseases across Africa. The fellow will join CERI's One Health Program, Data Science Unit, and the CLIMADE consortium, working alongside African and international partners including Oxford and Cornell. Applications close 9 October 2026.

As part of the 29th International Virus Evolution and Molecular Epidemiology (VEME) Workshop, where world-class bioinformaticians gather for a week of intensive training and collaboration, we are proud to bring you a free open keynote lecture.

The inaugural 2025 event brought together more than 150 attendees and 50 healthtech companies for a day of honest conversation, unexpected connections, and tangible progress for health innovation in the Western Cape. This September, we're returning with a sharper focus and an even stronger line-up of people shaping the future of healthcare in Africa.

At the third Public Squares Research Session, held on 4 August 2026, Dr. Chanelle Mulopo, a transdisciplinary researcher and research fellow on the WEMA project, introduced the concept of Stakeholder Mapping and Engagement. It is a systematic process that helps researchers identify the people and organisations that can affect, or be affected by, their research.

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Pathogen Phylodynamics: CERI, Stellenbosch University invites applications for a fully-funded postdoctoral fellowship applying phylodynamics, phylogenomics and ecological modelling to emerging pathogens across Africa. Join the Data Science Unit, One Health Program and CLIMADE consortium, mentored by leading genomic epidemiology researchers. Apply by 31 August 2026.

We invite the Stellenbosch University community, students, lecturers, professors, researchers, and professional staff, to join us for this Pro-VC Open Lecture with Pieter van Rooyen.

As our 2025/2026 African STARS Young Professional Programme (YPP) fellows completed their journey, I found myself reflecting on what it means to watch people you’ve mentored grow into confident leaders. It felt like a parent standing before an empty nest – filled with pride, yet carrying the quiet sadness of letting go

Two of our African MBA in Healthcare STARS tell us what the fellowship has taught them so far.

The end of a full year’s fellowship journey has arrived for the African STARS 2025 YPP cohort. The CERI fellows gathered for a session that brought both tears and laughter – a morning of honest stories, hard-won lessons, and quiet pride in how far they’ve come.

Stellenbosch University has launched IDEA SMASH™ – The Co-Creation Edition, a new innovation challenge designed to empower student entrepreneurs and changemakers. Open to students in the Luister, Leef & Leer programme, the competition invites participants to develop solutions to real-world challenges aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Finalists will receive mentorship from industry experts before pitching their ideas at the IDEA SMASH™ Innovation Showcase in September 2026.

South Africa now has the most detailed picture yet of how well its cervical cancer screening programme is working – and the numbers show both a system in need of urgent repair and a clear roadmap for fixing it.

KRISP invests in tomorrow’s scientists.