Council for Geoscience

The Council for Geoscience was invited to attend the 2nd SANEDI Annual Energy Conference, that took place at the Eskom Academy of Learning, from 23-24 October 2024. This years’ theme was “A balanced Energy Transition: For Energy Security, Affordability and Inclusiveness”. Ms Zama Sibewu, delivered a presentation titled “Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage: South African Context” in a breakaway session under the theme, “Carbon Capture Utilisation”. The presentation touched on the work that the CGS has undertaken at the pilot plant in Leandra, and further elaborated on the next steps that are crucial for successful implementation of the pilot plant.

The Council for Geoscience participated in the Ray Nkonyeni Investment Stakeholders Conference that was held at Estuary Hotel & Spa, Port Edward from 23-24 October 2024. Mr Mbuyiseni Ngcobo served as a panelist under the theme Wholesale, Retail & Manufacturing; Innovation, Science and Technology: Leveraging for economic advancement and growth facilated by Dr Thandeka Ellenson. Mr Ngcobo shared the mandate of the CGS and the fundamental research undertaken in the Ray Nkonyeni region such as mapping and Groundwater assessment particularly in kwaNzimakwe. This conference brought together all three spheres of government, industry, traditional leaders and public with the aim of driving sustainable growth through strategic investment in Ray Nkonyeni.

The Council for Geoscience took part in the 57th EuroGeoSurveys Directors' Workshop in Brussels, Belgium under the theme ‘Geoscience partnerships for a sustainable future’. Willem Meintjes 🇿🇦 gave a presentation on the roles of international geoscience diplomacy in sustainable futures and served as a panellist on capacity building and expert networks. EuroGeoSurveys Organisation of African Geological Surveys - OAGS #geoscience

The Council for Geoscience representatives Sinovuyo Myendeki Dr Thifhelimbilu Faith Mulabisana are exhibiting at the booth to share information of our mandate & services. The team also participated in discussions sharing new developments in seismic monitoring and assessment technologies as they relate to mining activities. #2024MHSCSummit

The Council for Geoscience is exhibiting at the Mine Health and Safety Council (MHSC) Tripartite Summit taking place at the Gallagher Convention Center, Johannesburg from 16-18 October. The summit aims to gather all stakeholders in the mining sector to engage and advance solutions to help the industry improve on Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) performance. #MHSCSummit

The Council for Geoscience participated at the Joburg Indaba that took place at the Inanda Club in Sandton, Johannesburg from 2-3 October 2024. The CEO, Mr Mosa Mabuza was part of a panel discussion together with other industry leaders. The CEO served in a panel discussion under the theme: Critical minerals – what do they mean in the South African context? chaired by Andrew Rossouw. When asked about what the definition of critical minerals is, he responded by saying that the subject of defining critical minerals is at an advance stage in South Africa. What makes critical minerals critical, is their ability to catalyse industries to create & secure jobs, enable food security, energy provision, defence, health and communication amongst others. He further argued that mineral elements that contribute to the above thematic areas will fall within the basket of critical minerals. He made an example of climate change and net zero, where the quantum of minerals that are needed to achieve net zero are listed and quantified globally. He further affirmed that the Minister of DMRE has tasked the CGS to map the country at greater scales. With Electrical Vehicles for example, we need about 50-100kg of graphite per vehicle. A significant amount is needed for battery storage in the energy sector. There is a graphite deposit in the region of 260 million tonnes which could place SA as a leader of critical minerals. When asked about cross country collaboration for critical minerals? He mentioned that there needs to be a deliberate intention to turn SA into an exploration site. We are beginning to delineate minerals that are deemed critical and we can take a regional approach by collaborating with neighbouring countries to find & secure the minerals as geology extends across the boundaries.The panel discussion concluded with the panellists responding to questions from the audience.

The Council for Geoscience hosted its Quarterly Technical Workshop today at its head office to share geoscientific insights and knowledge.  The CGS’s representatives convened their best minds to the workshop, covering a range of topics from mineral identification, geological mapping techniques and geophysical surveying advancements. Mr Jaco Delport, an Exploration Geologist at the University of Pretoria joined the workshop as a guest speaker delivering a thought-provoking presentation on the “advancement in mineral separation focusing more on the role of SELFRAG technology to enhance efficiency and sustainability”. The audience actively participated by asking thought provoking questions and making commendations. The programme was concluded by Ms. Joyce Shongwe, who emphasised the value of knowledge sharing. The workshop was a resounding success and achieved its objectives of expanding the participants' understanding of geology. #geoscience #knowledgesharing #geoscientists

The Council for Geoscience and South African National Space Agency have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which was signed at the CGS offices in Pretoria on Friday, 04 October 2024. The MoU will pave the way for enhanced collaboration in research, knowledge sharing, and data storage. Together, the two institutions are advancing geoscience and space initiatives. #Partnership #Geoscience #SpaceAgency #Innovation

Wrapping up #18SAGA2024 with a presentation by Emmanuel Chirenje titled “mapping concealed caldera complexes from aeromagnetic data: the cretaceous bumbeni complex, South Africa”. His talk highlighted the use of high resolution aeromagnetic data interpretation enhanced by 3D modelling and seismic data interpretation to identify structures buried under thick sedimentary cover, such as calderas. The talk further linked the interpretations of mapped geology, geodynamics and propagation of rift systems drawing analogy with the Mid Ethiopian rift system.

As the #18SAGA2024 conference continues, CGS representatives made a number of presentations. Among them were Tebogo Pule David Ngobeni (Pr. Sci. Nat.) Mpumelelo Dube Vunganai Midzi Tebogo Matlou presented on “damage distribution for residential buildings in the City of Johannesburg”. Her talk highlighted progress made with the development of a seismic risk scenario for the residential buildings in the City of Joburg (CoJ). The study provides a damage distribution for the CoJ which involves the estimation of the probability of damage resulting from potential future earthquakes. David Ngobeni presented on “Regional gravity and magnetotelluric data reveal the structure of the Giyani greenstone belt (GGB)”. The study investigates the structure of the GGB using regional gravity and magnetotelluric (MT) data to identify the lateral structure, thickness, and potentially mineralized areas within the greenstone belt. Mpumelelo Dube presented on “integrating geophysical and GIS methods to delineate regional groundwater potential zones in and around the Govan Mbeki Municipality, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Her talk was focused on delineating regional groundwater potential zones by integrating existing information with recently acquired airborne electromagnetic (AEM) and magnetic surveys. Vunganai Midzi presented on “Influence of ground motion model selection in seismic hazard for Johannesburg”. The study focused on investigating the influence of ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs) that plays a key role in seismic hazard assessment (SHA) for Johannesburg. This research provides fundamental insights into the variability and sensitivity related to ground shaking intensity estimations, directly affecting risk assessments and engineering design considerations. #18Saga2024