Nelson Mandela University professor wins SA's ‘Science Oscar' for digital innovation in Africa

Daily Maverick

03-08-2025

Nelson Mandela University's Distinguished Professor Darelle van Greunen and her Centre for Community Technologies have been honoured with South Africa's prestigious Science Diplomacy Award for their work using digital innovation to transform health, education and agriculture in the Eastern Cape and across Africa.
The Centre for Community Technologies (CCT), based at the Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha, received the prestigious Science Diplomacy Award at the national 'Science Oscars' late last week for its outstanding work in health, education and agriculture in the Eastern Cape, South Africa and beyond the country's borders.
'Led by Distinguished Professor Darelle van Greunen, Director of the CCT and Professor of Information Technology at the university, the centre has become a continental leader in integrating academic research with real-world solutions, using digital innovation to address critical societal needs in health, education and community development,' the university said in a statement.
The award celebrates how the CCT integrates research with real-world impact — a hallmark of Van Greunen's work.
She is a firm believer in the philosophy 'in Africa, for Africa, by Africans' and has consistently focused on making science accessible, inclusive and rooted in community realities.
One of the initiatives that stood out is the development of an agri-box, a tool that gives small-scale farmers access to scientific soil analysis, allowing them to farm more efficiently and adapt to climate challenges.
'The centre's model is based on co-creation with communities, valuing their experiences and insights. Rather than solving problems for people, she collaborates with them, using science to bring their ideas to life. To her, science is not just about knowledge; it's about courage and action, turning thought into meaningful impact. It employs technology not simply as an enabler, but as a driver for holistic development, socio-structural change, and digital equality,' Nelson Mandela University's statement continued.
'This recognition affirms our mission to use science and technology as instruments of inclusion and shared progress,' Van Greunen added.
'At the CCT, we believe in science that is empathetic, collaborative and rooted in the lived realities of African communities. Our work is guided by the principle that knowledge knows no borders and that progress is most powerful when it is co-created,' she said.
Alongside the agri-tech work, the CCT's other recognised initiatives include projects in digital health, inclusive education and technological empowerment in rural farming communities.
Van Greunen said on Sunday that she was grateful to the National Science and Technology Forum for recognising the growing importance of science diplomacy in shaping a more connected and equitable Africa.
While she has received many awards in her career for her cutting-edge work, she said she remains grateful for each one of them. 'I see each award as an invitation to set the bar higher.'
'The award is shared with all African partners, funders and communities that continue to walk this journey of transformation. This award inspires us to deepen our commitment to using science as a bridge, between people, countries and sustainable futures,' she added.
In its award citation, the National Science and Technology Forum explained that the Science Diplomacy for Africa Award — introduced in 2023 in partnership with the Science Diplomacy Capital for Africa initiative — recognises exceptional contributions to science, engineering, technology and innovation by individuals or teams in South Africa. The award honours work that has led to meaningful solutions and advances through science diplomacy between countries for the benefit of both South Africa and the wider continent.
Van Greunen said the award affirmed that their principles of inclusion and shared progress remain true and effective. Her team was also recognised for its work in improving maternal health in Africa, a project funded by the European Union.
Another of its projects that received a mention was its digital story telling project called 'Common Good First', which created a global network to connect community projects to each other – and to universities around the world.
Van Greunen said she believed the use of artificial intelligence would open up more opportunities for education in future, as will the use of quantum computing.
'It is a profound honour to receive this award,' she said. 'It affirms our mission. It tells us what we are doing is the right thing to do,' she added. 'It also acknowledges the work in and by our communities everywhere.'
With this major award in the bag, however, there is no time to sit back and relax for Van Greunen. Her new mission is to operationalise the university's new science centre and to make sure that as many communities as possible are exposed to it.
'We need to bridge the digital divide by bringing people into science, and create an ecosystem where there is empowerment and youth empowerment,' she said. 'It was vital so that people who were not necessarily exposed to science in their youth could integrate seamlessly into the workplace. We have to mentor the next generation.'
Van Greunen said the recent imposition of sky-high tariffs on South Africa by the United States should serve as a 'crude wake-up call' to the country.