minister naledi pandor

South Africa is planning to build its third satellite, to form part of a new African satellite constellation, as part of a government drive to grow the country's share of the global market for small- to medium-sized space systems.

South Africa has submitted its bid documents to host the €1.5-billion Square Kilometre Array (SKA), the world's most powerful radio telescope - arguably the country's most important contest since its successful bid to host the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

The founding board of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope project has announced the process and timeline for selection of the host site for the world's most powerful radio telescope. South Africa and Australia are leading the rival bids.

South Africa is fully committed to the Square Kilometre Array project, and has done considerable work in support of its bid to host the world's most powerful radio telescope, Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor tells a SKA meeting in Canada.

South Africa will soon have its own space agency to promote and coordinate space science and technology programmes in the country.
• MeerKAT in demand among scientists

The South African government spent R21-billion on research and development (R&D) in 2008/09 - R2.4-billion more than the previous year, but still short of its target of at least one percent of the country's gross domestic product.

Schoolchildren could be reciting a new national schools' pledge during morning assemblies by March this year. The pledge is intended to instil a renewed sense of morality in young South Africans.

The University of South Africa, the Pretoria-based university that offers distance education programmes to students across the country and the continent, has opened a regional learning centre in Ethiopia.