Group on Earth Observations

Statement of South Africa

Distinguished Co-Chairs, Director of the Secretariat, Representatives of Member States, Participating Organisations, Associates, Observers, Industry Representatives, Esteemed Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

South Africa extends its appreciation to the GEO Secretariat and all partners for convening this important gathering at a critical juncture for global sustainable development, climate action, and resilience building.

As we advance into the implementation phase of the GEO post-2025 Strategy, themed Earth Intelligence for All, we are presented with an important opportunity to strengthen the role of Earth Observation (EO) in addressing interconnected global challenges. South Africa reaffirms its commitment to GEO as a vital multilateral platform that enables coordinated, open, and impactful use of EO data to support evidence-based decision-making.

At this stage, the priority must be to advance both the GEO Work Programme and the GEO Infrastructure. The Work Programme drives action, while the infrastructure ensures that data, tools, and knowledge are accessible and usable.

South Africa recognises the importance of the GEO Infrastructure Implementation Plan as a key step towards a more integrated, interoperable, and user-focused system. Its long-term sustainability is critical to ensuring continued access, usability, and preservation of Earth Observation data and knowledge, and to achieving Earth Intelligence for All.

South Africa remains committed to active participation in the GEO Work Programme, including Flagships, Initiatives, and Community Activities. Through national coordination mechanisms, we continue to promote collaboration, data sharing, and the uptake of EO-derived information across government, academia, industry, and civil society. These efforts are aligned with national priorities and global frameworks, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), climate commitments, and the Early Warnings for All initiative.

Chairperson, distinguished delegates,

At the national level, South Africa has established a coordinated and structured GEO engagement mechanism through the South African Group on Earth Observations (SA-GEO), managed by the National Earth Observations and Space Secretariat (NEOSS), an initiative of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, hosted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

SA-GEO serves as the central national coordination platform for GEO-related activities, positioning South Africa’s priorities and capabilities within the GEO Work Programme while ensuring that the country’s contributions are coherent, visible, and impactful across GEO governance structures, Flagships, Initiatives, and thematic areas.

A key strength of this mechanism is its Communities of Practice (CoPs). These multi-stakeholder platforms bring together stakeholders from government, academia, industry, and civil society to coordinate efforts across priority thematic areas. South Africa continues to strengthen these structures to improve alignment with national priorities, coordination across sectors, and responsiveness to emerging challenges within the Earth Observation and space ecosystem. The thematic CoPs include Agriculture and Food Security; Climate Action; Data Infrastructure and Governance; Circular Economy and Natural Resources Management; Satellite Communications and Navigation; and Human Settlements and Spatial Planning.

South Africa has also established a Youth Forum as an inclusive network that strengthens youth participation across the Earth Observation and space value chain. The Forum promotes the use of open spatial data, Earth intelligence, and space-derived solutions for sustainable development and societal resilience, while ensuring alignment with the GEO Youth Community of Practice.

South Africa continues to strengthen its contribution to the GEO Infrastructure through the South Africa GEO Knowledge Hub, a nationally coordinated platform co-developed with the GEO Secretariat and directly contributing to the global GEO Knowledge Hub. The platform enables the sharing of datasets, tools, use cases, and knowledge packages, supporting both national decision-making and global knowledge exchange.

In parallel, South Africa implements the Integrated use of Earth Observation and Space for Socio-Economic Development Programme, which advances practical and impact-driven projects aligned with national thematic priorities. These projects contribute directly to the national knowledge base and support the broader GEO ecosystem through shared evidence, scalable solutions, and locally relevant use cases.

South Africa is also strengthening the operational application of EO through decision support systems and national digital infrastructure. The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) is implementing the Natural Resources Management Programme, which supports the co-creation of geospatial solutions for the sustainable use of natural resources through EO and geospatial technologies, in partnership with communities, sector departments, and key stakeholders .

In support of disaster risk reduction, water security, and environmental management, SANSA has developed decision support tools for air quality monitoring, water resource management, and flood disaster management. These platforms integrate multi-source EO data and analytics to provide timely and actionable insights for planners, policymakers, and practitioners .

South Africa has further developed the South African Earth Observation System of Systems (SAEOSS) Portal, which serves as a one-stop platform for discovering Earth observation data by integrating multiple EO systems. Complementing this is the ongoing enhancement of Digital Earth South Africa (DESA), which strengthens national capacity by enabling researchers and institutions to visualise, process, analyse, and share satellite imagery for research and operational applications .

To improve national access to high-resolution EO data, SANSA is also re-establishing access to very high spatial resolution satellite imagery through a government multi-user acquisition agreement. This will significantly strengthen evidence-based planning and service delivery across government sectors .

Esteemed Delegates,

South Africa emphasises that the GEO priorities of climate action, food security, water security, disaster risk reduction, ecosystem management, urban resilience, and digital transformation are mutually reinforcing and require coordinated, cross-sectoral approaches supported by accessible and reliable EO data.

We further underscore the importance of strengthening regional collaboration through AfriGEO, ensuring that Africa’s needs and perspectives remain central within the global GEO agenda. South Africa remains committed to supporting continental initiatives that enhance capacity, infrastructure, and data accessibility across the region.

The post-2025 GEO framework also calls for deeper engagement with youth, the private sector, and innovation ecosystems. South Africa supports this inclusive approach, recognising that partnerships are essential to scaling EO solutions and unlocking socio-economic value.

Chairperson, distinguished delegates,

South Africa reiterates its commitment to advancing the GEO vision of a world where decisions and actions are informed by coordinated, comprehensive, and sustained Earth observations. We believe that GEO continues to play a critical role in bridging science, policy, and implementation.

We look forward to continued collaboration with all GEO Members and Participating Organisations to ensure that EO contributes meaningfully to sustainable development, resilience, and prosperity for all.

We thank you.