South Africa: Committee on Science Visits National Integrated Cyber Infrastructure System

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The Portfolio Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation conducted an oversight visit to the National Integrated Cyber Infrastructure System (NICIS) at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Rosebank to assess NICIS's infrastructure, capabilities and its contribution to South Africa's digital transformation agenda.

The NICIS promotes scientific and industrial development through the provision of high-performance computing capability, high-speed network connectivity, and a national research data infrastructure. These capabilities are integrated into globally connected systems and local research infrastructure, providing seamless access to computing, networking, and data services for South Africa's research and education communities.

The NICIS is a national initiative of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation and is implemented by the CSIR. The Centre for High Performance Computing is one of the three pillars of the NICIS and provides high-performance computing resources and services to researchers in academia, government, and industry.

The other two pillars are the South African National Research Network which provides high-speed connectivity and advanced networking services to the research and education sector, and the Data Intensive Research Initiative of South Africa which provides national research data infrastructure and services that support sound data management practices and enable data-driven scientific and engineering discoveries.

Key findings:

• The Centre for High Performance Computing (CHPC) houses Lengau, South Africa's flagship supercomputer and one of the fastest supercomputers on the African continent. The system can process massive volumes of data within seconds, enabling advanced scientific research, innovation, and complex computational analysis.
• The NICIS supports the Electronic Vaccination Data System, enabling secure vaccination registration, certification, and real-time health data management.
• Digital Government and Data Sovereignty: NICIS provides secure digital infrastructure that protects critical government data, strengthens cybersecurity, and supports South Africa's digital sovereignty.
• Public Sector Digital Transformation: NICIS enables digital public services through high-performance computing and secure data infrastructure, improving service delivery across government and healthcare.
• Industry, Research and Economic Development: NICIS supports key sectors, including engineering, ICT, biotechnology, mining, and aerospace, through advanced computing, artificial intelligence, and big data capabilities.
• Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Computing: The CHPC's Lengau supercomputer delivers world-class computing power, positioning South Africa as a leader in AI, scientific computing, and data-intensive research in Africa.
• National Research and Education Infrastructure: Through SANReN and DIRISA, NICIS provides high-speed connectivity and secure data services to universities, TVET colleges, science councils, and research institutions.
• Secure National Data Storage: DIRISA operates a secure national data centre with the capacity to store critical research and government data, supporting improved data governance and national digital resilience.

The committee noted that the CHPC is positioning South Africa as a leader on the African continent in the implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to support e-government, higher education and research institutions, industry, and communities.

The committee observed that the CHPC requires expansion, as the current facility has reached its maximum capacity and the available infrastructure is insufficient to accommodate future growth.

The committee noted the continuous need for investment in the CHPC, the South African National Research Network, and the Data Intensive Research Initiative of South Africa to upgrade and modernise their infrastructure.

Sustained investment is essential to ensure that these national cyber infrastructure platforms keep pace with rapidly evolving digital technologies, growing demand for computing and data services, and global state-of-the-art standards. Such investment will strengthen South Africa's technological sovereignty by reducing reliance on foreign cloud services and international data storage, while expanding secure, locally hosted cloud and data storage capabilities for government, research institutions, and industry.

The committee’s oversight visit reaffirmed NICIS' critical role in advancing South Africa's digital infrastructure and innovation ecosystem. The committee recognised that continued investment in high-performance computing infrastructure and secure national data storage is essential to strengthening scientific research, supporting digital public services, driving artificial intelligence capabilities, and enhancing the country's global competitiveness in science, technology, and innovation.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.