A proposal by Professor Maano Ramutsindela, the UP–UCT Future Africa Research Chairperson in Sustainability Transformation, was selected as one of 12 global pilot science missions by the International Science Council (ISC), to accelerate real-world sustainability solutions.
Titled “the SDGs for a Sustainable Mapungubwe: Thriving Cross-Border Landscapes and Societies” Prof Ramutshindela’s work draws on lessons from the rise and fall of the ancient Mapungubwe Kingdom.
It was selected among 250 international submissions and is the only mission from Southern Africa, in the global pilot programme.
The ISC’s pilot science missions, launched in March 2024, are designed to bring together diverse scientific, policy and community stakeholders to co-design innovative and locally informed sustainability solutions.
Ramutsindela is a professor of Human Geography at the University of Cape Town’s Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, and an Extraordinary Professor in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Pretoria.
He said about this achievement “this pilot mission presents a unique opportunity to rethink sustainable futures for cross-border communities in Southern Africa. By leveraging diverse expertise and knowledge systems, we aim to co-develop practical, real-time solutions that can serve as models for other regions facing similar sustainability challenges. There is no better site for the Mission than Mapungubwe, where the past meets the present to inspire hope for a sustainable future of thriving cross-border landscapes and societies.”
Professor Wanda Markotter, Interim Director of Future Africa at the University of Pretoria, said: “Future Africa is honoured to be part of the ISC Pilot Science Missions initiative through the selection of the Mapungubwe Science Mission, led by Professor Ramutsindela. This recognition reaffirms our commitment to fostering transformative research that addresses Africa’s most pressing sustainability challenges while contributing to global sustainability solutions.”
Initial work will focus on the Musina Local Municipality and surrounding areas in South Africa, with plans to expand into Botswana and Zimbabwe.
The consortium supporting the mission includes partners from academia, civil society, local government and international institutions such as the Future Africa, University of Pretoria, the University of Cape Town, the University of Melbourne, the University of Venda, the University of Johannesburg, Dzomo la Mupo, Vhembe District Municipality, Michigan State University and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA).
Picture of Prof Maano Ramutsindela, University of Pretoria