South africa: 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.
According to African Press Organization, NICIS plays a critical role in promoting scientific and industrial development by providing 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, offering 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, implemented by the CSIR. It comprises three pillars: the Centre for High Performance Computing (CHPC), the South African National Research Network (SANReN), and the Data Intensive Research Initiative of South Africa (DIRISA). The CHPC provides high-performance computing resources to researchers in academia, government, and industry.
The CHPC is home to Lengau, South Africa's flagship supercomputer, which is among the fastest on the African continent. This system processes massive data volumes within seconds, facilitating advanced scientific research, innovation, and complex computational analysis. NICIS also supports the Electronic Vaccination Data System for secure vaccination registration and real-time health data management.
NICIS plays a pivotal role in digital government and data sovereignty by providing secure digital infrastructure that protects critical government data and strengthens cybersecurity. It supports public sector digital transformation by enabling digital public services through high-performance computing and secure data infrastructure, thus enhancing service delivery across government and healthcare sectors.
NICIS supports key industries such as engineering, ICT, biotechnology, mining, and aerospace, with advanced computing, artificial intelligence, and big data capabilities. 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.
Through SANReN and DIRISA, NICIS provides high-speed connectivity and secure data services to universities, TVET colleges, science councils, and research institutions. 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 CHPC is positioning South Africa as a leader on the African continent in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, supporting e-government, higher education, research institutions, industry, and communities. However, the committee observed that CHPC requires expansion, as the current facility has reached its maximum capacity and the available infrastructure is insufficient for future growth.
The committee emphasized the continuous need for investment in CHPC, SANReN, and DIRISA to upgrade and modernize their infrastructure. Sustained investment is essential to ensure these national cyber infrastructure platforms keep pace with rapidly evolving digital technologies and growing demand for computing and data services. This 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.
The oversight visit reaffirmed NICIS's critical role in advancing South Africa's digital infrastructure and innovation ecosystem. The committee recognized 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.