Technology

Kelvin Mpofu, CSIR

Around the world, countries are pouring tens of billions into quantum technologies, convinced they may hold the key to the next wave of breakthroughs in compute. South Africa may not have the resources of Silicon Valley or Hefei in China, but it does have an active network of researchers building capacity and expertise at home.

The country’s quantum efforts are being coordinated through the South African Quantum Technology Initiative (SAQuTI), a network of physicists from universities and research organisations across the nation. The idea is to bring people together, pool resources and chart a course before the global race leaves South Africa on the sidelines. “Even though South Africa doesn’t quite have the same resources as China, the European Union or the United States, we still have things we can contribute that can actually have an impact in the quantum space,” says Dr Kelvin Mpofu, CSIR researcher and SAQuTI Emerging Leader.