Cabinet has approved a deal that will allow government to take up a 55% to 60% stake in local satellite business Sunspace.
The business, born of a project developed through the University of Stellenbosch, has designed and built SA's two orbiting satellites.
Cabinet's decision will see SA's space capabilities pulled back into the public sector, through a financing agreement which will be detailed by the ministers of finance, trade and industry, and science and technology.
It is unclear what the privately-held company will sell its equity for; however, last year, an investment by the National Empowerment Fund saw 30% of the business costing R50 million.
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has a vested interest in the business, since both satellite projects have been overseen by the department. The DST will also want to keep space-related skills close to SA, with the country's new Space Agency Act now in place.
The Act is intended to promote the peaceful use of space, foster research in space science and communications navigation, and promote international co-operation in space-related activities.
One of the recent projects is the DST's launch, in September last year, of the Sumbandila satellite, which was built by Sunspace. It is being used to produce images to monitor agriculture, map infrastructure and land use, track population movement, and measure the water levels of dams.
The satellite is part of the DST's three-year, R26 million integrated capacity-building and satellite development project. The department is also in the process of sourcing a chairman for its recently formed Space Agency board.
The board will oversee the agency, monitor research priorities and programmes, and carry out the agency's strategy.
Share
