South Africa Driving Earth Intelligence at the 2025 GEO Global Forum

South Africa reaffirmed its position as a strategic leader in the global Earth Observation (EO) community through its active participation at the GEO Global Forum 2025 held from 05-09 May 2025, in Rome, Italy. The Forum was held in Italy and co-hosted by the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), the Italian National Research Council (CNR), and the Italian Space Agency.

The South African delegation was led by H.E. Ambassador Nosipho Nausca-Jean Jezile, South Africa’s Permanent Representative to Italy, and included a diverse group representing government, science, youth, and the private sector. The delegation brought together representatives from the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), the South African National Space Agency (SANSA), the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON), the National Earth Observation and Space Secretariat (NEOSS), and Swift Geospatial. Within this framework, Adv. Lulu Makapela, Manager of NEOSS, coordinated South Africa’s technical and governance contributions.

Much of the delegation’s focus was dedicated to reinforcing South Africa’s leadership in GEO governance. Dr Mmboneni Muofhe, Deputy Director-General at DSTI, AfriGEO Caucus Chair and Co-Chair of GEO, played a central role in high-level consultations with fellow Co-Chairs, where he stressed the continued relevance of the Ministerial Declaration and the Post-2025 Strategy adopted in Cape Town in 2023. He emphasised that these documents remain the guiding foundation for GEO’s future. Consensus was reached to treat the Strategy Implementation Plan as a living document while positioning the GEO Work Programme as the primary operational instrument.

As AfriGEO Caucus Chair, Dr Muofhe also opened the first joint session of Regional GEOs, underscoring AfriGEO’ s pioneering role as the first established Regional GEO and calling for stronger recognition of regions in the GEO Work Programme. He positioned AfriGEO not only as a coordination platform but also as a driver of practical impact in agriculture, land restoration, and climate resilience. His dual role as GEO Co-Chair and AfriGEO Chair further strengthened Africa’s voice during the 66th Executive Committee (ExCom) meeting, where discussions ranged from financial planning and Secretariat review to the proposal for hosting GEO-20 in Nairobi, Kenya.

Governance reform was also advanced at the Plenary Business Session, where Adv. Makapela, on behalf of the Rules of Procedure Task Force, co - presented amendments designed to streamline decision-making while maintaining inclusivity. The reforms introduced a two-tiered approval process for changes, allowing the Executive Committee to approve minor edits while reserving substantive updates for the Plenary. A significant outcome was the expansion of ExCom representation, granting both the Africa and Americas caucuses an additional seat , a major step forward in inclusivity and regional balance.

Beyond governance, South Africa’s technical and community contributions were widely recognised. Dr Nale Mudau (SANSA) and NEOSS CoP Co-Chair for Human Settlements and Spatial Planning, highlighted how EO is supporting human settlement planning and service delivery, making a compelling case for embedding EO into urban policy frameworks. The SA-GEO Knowledge Hub was showcased by Adv. Makapela as a pioneering model for connecting EO data producers with policy users, drawing international attention and engagement with technology partners such as Alibaba Cloud. In parallel, Leo Chiloane (SAEON) co-moderated an in-situ data session, advancing innovative approaches to ensure authenticity, accessibility, and integration in global EO infrastructure.

Diplomatic and ministerial tracks added another layer of visibility. At the Ministerial Roundtable, Dr Muofhe highlighted the power of EO in advancing One Health early warning systems, which help predict and prevent disease outbreaks. Ambassador Jezile reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment by recalling the success of the 2023 Cape Town Ministerial and stressing the urgent need to implement the GEO Strategy and its Implementation Plan signalling strong political and financial support for GEO’s mission.

Youth and private sector voices were equally prominent. At the GEO-20 Youth Plenary, Nasiphi Ngcoliso (SANSA) delivered a compelling intervention on behalf of the SA-GEO Youth community, highlighting youth leadership in disaster risk reduction, agriculture, and climate resilience, while positioning the SAGEO Youth as a national platform for skills development and innovation. Meanwhile, Dr Michaele Breetzke of Swift Geospatial represented South Africa in the high-level private sector panel, showcasing how South African companies are operationalising EO solutions in precision agriculture and biodiversity monitoring, bridging research and practical application, and contributing to global innovation pipelines.

South Africa’s participation extended beyond the Forum itself, with Adv. Makapela representing NEOSS at the GEO Infrastructure and GEODAB Strategy meeting in Florence. The discussions revealed a broader shift towards governance-driven, domain-specific approaches and emphasised the importance of actionable Earth Intelligence, inclusive participation, and alignment between national, regional, and global efforts.

Taken together, these engagements highlighted that South Africa’s contributions are not only diverse but also deeply integrated, spanning governance, diplomacy, technical innovation, youth empowerment, and private sector growth. Looking ahead, NEOSS and SA-GEO will focus on delivering a national workshop on the GEO Knowledge Hub, surveying the uptake of GEO products and services across sectors, strengthening structured engagement with the GEO Secretariat, and enhancing representation in future plenary and ministerial sessions.

Through these efforts, South Africa continues to affirm its role as both a regional anchor and a global leader in the GEO community, turning data into action, building inclusive networks, and advancing Earth Intelligence for sustainable development.