Choose timezone
Your profile timezone:
Workshop 2 of the SAGWG
→
Africa/Johannesburg
DLRRD Pretoria
DLRRD Pretoria
600 Lilian Ngoyi St
Aletha de Witt
(DSTI),
Aslam Parker
(Department of Land Reform and Rural Development)
Description
The map shows the Historical Geodetic Triangulation Network of South Africa overlaid with TrigNet stations to show the evolution of the national control survey system from a passive to active network. © SAGWG 2026
Contact us
Registration
Register for WS2
398
/ 500
Participants
398
View full list
-
-
08:00
→
09:45
Bus from DLRRD Pretoria to Hartebeesthoek 1h 45m
Please see https://events.sagwg.org.za/event/1/page/2-excursion
-
09:45
→
11:30
Excursion: SARAO Hartebeesthoek
-
09:45
Tea / Coffee 15m Foyer (SARAO Hartebeesthoek)
Foyer
SARAO Hartebeesthoek
-
10:00
Welcome and Opening 15m Meeting Area (HartRAO)
Meeting Area
HartRAO
Welcome remarks, introductions, programme overview and housekeeping
Speakers: Aletha de Witt (DSTI), Aslam Parker (Department of Land Reform and Rural Development) -
10:15
Welcome: SARAO 5m Meeting Area (HartRAO)
Meeting Area
HartRAO
Speaker: Dr Adrian Tiplady (SARAO) -
10:20
Introduction to HartRAO 15m Meeting area (HartRAO)
Meeting area
HartRAO
Overview of the observatory, its history, mandate and role in radio astronomy
Speaker: Roelf Botha (SARAO) -
10:35
Tour of HartRAO via interactive sessions 55m HartRAO
HartRAO
Safety Briefing
LogisticsGroup Photograph at 26m
Main groupings:
- Engineering + Workshops (Pieter Stronkhorst)
- Radio Telescopes and VLBI (Jon Quick)
- SLR, GNSS + Site Tie (Roelf Botha)
- Any other interests (Simphiwe Madlanga)Speakers: Dr Jon Quick, Lungelo Gumede, Pieter Stronkhorst, Dr Roelf Botha (SARAO), Simphiwe Madlanga
-
09:45
-
11:30
→
12:00
Travel to SANSA Hartebeesthoek 30m
-
12:00
→
14:30
Excursion: SANSA Hartebeesthoek
- 12:00
-
12:30
Tour + Interactive Session and Q&A 45m
Group Photograph
Questions, discussion and engagement with SANSA staff -
13:15
Lunch 1h
-
14:15
Closing Remarks and Vote of Thanks Final Networking 15mSpeakers: Aletha de Witt (DSTI), Aslam Parker (Department of Land Reform and Rural Development)
-
14:30
→
16:00
Bus from SANSA Hartebeesthoek to DLRRD Pretoria 1h 30m
-
08:00
→
09:45
-
-
08:30
→
09:00
Registration and Tea / Coffee 30m
-
09:00
→
09:55
Pillar 1: Foundations
Pillar 1: Foundations
Conveners: Aletha de Witt (Director: Radio Astronomy Projects, DSTI), Aslam Parker (Chief Director: National Geospatial Information, DLRRD)-
09:00
Welcome 10m
Opening Remarks by DSTI + DLRRD (Chair/Co-chair)
WelcomeSpeaker: Siyabonga Mdubeki (Chief Surveyor General, DLRRD) -
09:10
UN-GGCE and recent developments 20m
Nic Brown
Speaker: Nicholas Brown (Head of Office of the United Nations Global Geodetic Centre of Excellence (UN-GGCE)) -
09:30
One year on... 25m
Feedback and Overview: 2025 Workshop and Report
Progress to date and Working Group establishmentSpeakers: Aletha de Witt (Director for Radio Astronomy Projects, DSTI), Aslam Parker (Chief Director: National Geospatial Information, DLRRD)
-
09:00
-
09:55
→
10:15
Overview of the SAGWG Pillars 20m
Introduces the (refined) pillar framework, setting up the individual pillar sessions that follow across both days
Speaker: Aletha de Witt (Director: Radio Astronomy Projects, DSTI) -
10:15
→
10:50
Tea / Coffee 35m
-
10:50
→
11:40
HistoryConvener: Aslam Parker (Chief Director: National Geospatial Information, DLRRD)
-
10:50
History of Geodesy in South Africa and Africa - Terrestrial 30mSpeaker: Patrick Vorster (Retired Chief Professional Surveyor, DLRRD)
-
11:20
History - Space Geodesy 20m
History of Space Geodesy, Tribute
Speaker: Roelf Botha (Manager of Space Goedesy, SARAO)
-
10:50
-
11:40
→
12:30
Pillar 3: Infrastructure and Operations: Pillar 3: Infrastructure & Operations
Pillar 3: Infrastructure and Operations
Convener: Nozipho Madlala (Chief Professional Surveyor, DLRRD)-
11:40
Evolution of South Africa’s active GNSS reference network 20m
DLRRD + Trignet
SA Control Survey systemSpeaker: Cleotilda Nxumalo (Chief Professional Surveyor, DLRRD) -
12:00
Space Geodetic Infrastructure 15m
SARAO Hartebeesthoek
Speaker: Roelf Botha (Manager of Space Goedesy, SARAO) -
12:15
SANSA geodetic infrastructure: from Africa to the polar regions 15mSpeaker: Mr Jon Ward (EDA Manager, SANSA)
-
11:40
-
12:30
→
13:30
Lunch 1h
-
13:30
→
14:20
Pillar 5: Data, Standards and Open AccessConvener: Mr Jon Ward (EDA Manager, SANSA)
-
13:30
International standards frameworks 20mSpeaker: Nozipho Madlala (Chief Professional Surveyor, DLRRD)
-
13:50
SDI Act and Standards 15mSpeaker: Dalikhaya Mdunge (Chairperson, CSI)
-
14:05
Geodetic Data Stewardship through Open Access, FAIR, TRUST, CARE and Open Science 15mSpeaker: Glenda Coetzer (SARAO)
-
13:30
-
14:20
→
15:00
Pillar 6: Reference Systems and Regional Frames
Pillar 6 Reference Systems and Regional Frames
Convener: Roelf Botha (Manager of Space Goedesy, SARAO)-
14:20
Terrestrial Reference Frames and Systems 25mSpeaker: Aslam Parker (Chief Director: National Geospatial Information, DLRRD)
-
14:45
Tide gauge network and hydrological systems 15m
Ruth Farre
Maritime Reference LevelsSpeaker: Ruth Farre (Superintendent Tidal Information, Hydrographic Office, SA Navy)
-
14:20
-
15:00
→
15:20
Tea / Coffee 20m
-
15:20
→
16:00
Pillar 6: Reference Systems and Regional Frames
Pillar 6 Reference Systems and Regional Frames
Convener: Roelf Botha (Manager of Space Goedesy, SARAO)-
15:20
Height reference systems 15mSpeaker: Siphiwe Mphuthi (Geoscience researcher, UCT)
-
15:35
International Celestial Reference Frame and EOPs 15mSpeaker: Aletha de Witt (Director: Radio Astronomy Projects, DSTI)
-
15:20
-
08:30
→
09:00
-
-
08:15
→
08:40
Registration and Tea / Coffee 25m
-
08:40
→
09:30
Pillar 7: Human Capital Development
Pillar 7: Human Capital Development
Convener: Mulemwa Akombelwa (UKZN)-
08:40
Geodesy Education and Research at Traditional Universities: Current Provision and Future Needs 20mSpeakers: Mulemwa Akombelwa (UKZN), Patroba Odera (University of Cape Town), Siphiwe Mphuthi (Geoscience researcher)
-
09:00
Geodesy Education and Postgraduate Training at TUT: Current Provision and Future Needs 15m
Kovlien Reddy
Speaker: Kovilen Reddy (Tshwane University of Technology, Geomatics Department) -
09:15
Geodesy Education at DUT: Experiences, Challenges and Future Directions 15m
Misheck Phiri
Speaker: Misheck Phiri (Durban University of Technology)
-
08:40
-
09:30
→
10:20
Pillar 2: Advocacy, Communications and Outreach
Pillar 2: Advocacy, Communications and Outreach
Convener: Aletha de Witt (Director: Radio Astronomy Projects, DSTI)-
09:30
Advocacy for geodesy: from technical need to political priority 15mSpeaker: Laila Løvhøiden (Norwegian Mapping Authority)
-
09:45
Geodesy as the Foundation of a Future-Ready Geomatics Profession: Regulation, Competence and National Spatial Resilience 20mSpeaker: Morena Letsosa (SAGC)
-
10:05
The Next Generation of Geomatics Practitioners: Integrating Geodesy, GNSS, GIS, Remote Sensing and Geospatial Data Science 15mSpeaker: Ms Tshepisho Agnecia Lefenyo (DLRRD)
-
09:30
-
10:20
→
10:40
Tea / Coffee 20m
-
10:40
→
11:20
Pollar 4: Spectrum protection
Pillar 4: Spectrum protection
Convener: Hubert Mathebula (Deputy Director: Radio Astronomy, DSTI)-
10:40
Frequency Protection for geodetic VLBI - Support for an Agenda Item at WRC-31 20mSpeaker: Hayo Hase (Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie)
-
11:00
Radio Frequency Spectrum Management 15mSpeaker: Selaelo Matlhane (SARAO)
-
10:40
-
11:20
→
12:15
Pillar 8: R&D and next-gen supply chain - innovation and technology development
Pillar 8: R&D and next-gen supply chain - innovation and technology development
Convener: Roelf Botha (Manager of Space Goedesy, SARAO)-
11:20
SANSA and low-cost GNSS 15mSpeaker: Mr Jon Ward (EDA Manager, SANSA)
-
11:35
BeiDou High-Accuracy Services: Opportunities for Geodetic Applications 15mSpeaker: Ningbo Wang (Aerospace Informatioin Research Institute (AIR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS))
-
11:50
Brief overview of the current state and trajectory of aerial surveying and satellite remote sensing technology for mapping 15mSpeaker: Adriaan Combrink
-
12:05
Earth Observation applications using Beidou 10m
@Lesiba Thomas Tsoeleng,
Speaker: Lesiba Thomas Tsoeleng (SANSA)
-
11:20
-
12:15
→
13:15
Lunch 1h
-
13:15
→
13:55
IndustryConvener: Mr Jon Ward (EDA Manager, SANSA)
-
13:15
Precision at Scale - The Tanzania CORS Installation 20m
-
13:35
Quality Control of CORS Stations and Data 20mSpeaker: Talal Hanna (Leica GeoSystems)
-
13:15
-
13:55
→
14:15
Interactive session, demos (Tea and Coffee available) 20m
-
14:15
→
15:20
AfricaConvener: Hubert Mathebula (Deputy Director: Radio Astronomy, DSTI)
-
14:15
Update on GGOS-Africa 15mSpeaker: Aletha de Witt (Director: Radio Astronomy Projects, DSTI)
-
14:30
UN-GGIM Africa working group on AFREF 15mSpeaker: Aslam Parker (Chief Director: National Geospatial Information, DLRRD)
-
14:45
Importance of Advocacy and Outreach for Geodesy - Initiatives led under GGOS 15mSpeaker: Martin Sehnal (BEV - Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying)
-
15:00
Strengthening the Future of Geodesy: Empowering Early Career Scientists (ECS) 15m
Ghomsi
Speaker: Franck Ghomsi
-
14:15
-
15:20
→
15:40
Summary, Highlights & Way Forward 20mSpeakers: Aletha de Witt (Director: Radio Astronomy Projects, DSTI), Aslam Parker (Chief Director: National Geospatial Information, DLRRD)
-
15:40
→
15:55
Close & Communiqué 15mSpeaker: Siyabonga Mdubeki (Chief Surveyor General, DLRRD)
-
08:15
→
08:40