There is a particular kind of courage it takes to leave everything familiar and build something new on the other side of the world. On 24 March, at the Stellenbosch University Faculty of Science graduation ceremony, Danilo De Silva walked across the stage to receive his MSc in Computer Science. For Danilo, that journey started not with ambition, but with an invitation.

The 29th International Workshop on Virus Evolution and Molecular Epidemiology (VEME) will take place in Stellenbosch, South Africa, from 6–11 September 2026. Over six intensive days of lectures, practical sessions, and keynote presentations, leading researchers from around the world will provide in-depth training in bioinformatics applied to virus evolution and molecular epidemiology. Participants gain both the theoretical knowledge and practical skills needed to tackle complex genomic questions, contribute to research, and support public health initiatives.

CERI at Stellenbosch University invite applications for a five-day intensive Training in Metagenomic Virus Discovery. This hands-on workshop will be led by global experts, offering participants practical skills and strategies in virus discovery—from project design to advanced analysis.

This edition of the gem centres on a simple idea: health is interconnected. At CERI, One Health guides how we link genomics, ecology, surveillance, and delivery to build solutions that work in real-world African contexts. We celebrate four CERI and SU PhD fellows awarded the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust Fellowship, a KRISP Fellow that got awarded a fellowship to go to Switzerland and welcome Professors Carla Mavian and Jo-Ann Passmore at CERI, whose expertise will strengthen our efforts to bettering public health. Across research and partnerships, one message is clear: with the right alignment, Africa can lead the future of integrated health innovation.

Prof Jo-Ann Passmore, one of South Africa's leading voices in women's health immunology, joins CERI at Stellenbosch University.

Over 440 participants from 15 African countries and 22 countries globally gathered in Stellenbosch on 13–14 February for SWEAT Africa 2026. These included 150+ founders, 100+ students, 50+ investors, 50+ researchers, and 90+ ecosystem builders who came together not simply to present ideas, but to engage across sectors that do not always meet in the same room

African STARS Fellow, Dr Alex Nka. Across Africa, epidemics do not unfold in laboratories. They unfold within complex systems shaped by funding structures, climate shifts, diagnostic capacity, and policy responsiveness.

Dr Hastings Musopole begins his research exchange in Switzerland.

On 14 February 2026, Day 2 of SWEAT Africa’s debut festival, an inspiring panel turned the spotlight on a question central to innovation: what does it actually take to build ventures that endure? True to SWEAT’s outdoor, movement-driven format – where dialogue continues between walks, runs and yoga –the discussion carried that same forward energy into a focused, practical exploration of systems, funding alignment and real-world impact.

KRISP Sanger Sequencing Services promotion for 2026. Access the largest ABI 3730xl sequencer in Africa at very affordable rates.

The majority of SARS-CoV-2 genomes obtained during the pandemic were derived by amplifying overlapping windows of the genome (‘tiled amplicons’), reconstructing their sequences and fitting them together. This leads to systematic errors in genomes unless the software is both aware of the amplicon scheme and of the error modes of amplicon sequencing.

Hosted by the Public Squares Initiative at Stellenbosch University, this podcast bridges the gap between research and society through conversation and dialogue with researchers, practitioners, and community members. At the heart of these conversations is transdisciplinary research — research that is collaborative, engaged and impactful.

CERI attended the launch of ACHIEVE Africa – a five-year, African led initiative designed to accelerate the development of safe and effective vaccines and biologics across the continent.

CERI has welcomed Prof Carla Mavian, an infectious disease genomicist whose work spans evolutionary biology, phylodynamic,s and real-time outbreak response. Her appointment marks a significant step in embedding a comprehensive One Health framework within CERI’s continental pathogen surveillance efforts.

This month, CERI partnered in hosting BRAIN 5.0 in South Africa, convening founders, investors, and researchers to move science-based innovation from the lab into real-world health and climate impact.

On 14 February 2026, under the main tent at Bertha Retreat between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, Africa’s most promising biotech and hardtech founders took to the stage for the final of the SWEAT Africa Pitch Competition. With a winner-take-all R100 000 cash prize on the line, the stakes were high – and the standard even higher.

Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Policy Innovation Lab is part of an international partnership that has formally handed over a landmark policy report tracing the evolution of the G20’s digital agenda to South African government partners.

SWEAT Panel: Building and Funding Globally Competitive African Ventures

SWEAT Africa connects deep-tech founders, corporates, and investors to turn Africa’s scientific innovation into scalable, real-world solutions through collaboration, capital, and market access.

SWEAT Africa rewards active participation — blending physical energy with strategic networking to spark real partnerships and momentum.

Stellenbosch and Franschhoek combine Africa’s innovation ecosystem with wine, culture, and nature — creating the perfect setting to explore, connect, and build during SWEAT Africa.

SWEAT Africa empowers founders with community, mentorship, and practical skills to build scalable companies from Africa for the world.

SWEAT Africa is backed by leading development banks, venture funds, corporations, and foundations working together to empower African founders and scale scientific innovation.

SWEAT Africa is an action-oriented platform uniting Africa’s startup ecosystem to collaborate, build trust, and turn ideas into impact.

The first 2026 edition of the gem kicks off with unstoppable energy, literally. What began as a simple idea has quickly transformed into something bold and exciting: SWEAT Africa. This edition of the gem also proudly introduces the new cohort of African STARS Fellows. the gem continues to spotlight vital scientific work, with new insights into bioinformatics, genomics and climate change

Stellenbosch is more than a picturesque town; it’s a science and innovation hub. Home to Stellenbosch University and the Technopark innovation hub, the town is rich with researchers, engineers, and entrepreneurs shaping Africa’s tech future.

This brand new venture festival is positioning our continent at the centre of global innovation, investment and collaboration.

As 2025 draws to a close, the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), the KZN Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP) and SACEMA reflect on a year marked by scientific excellence, global collaboration, and meaningful advances into the future of AI-driven health innovation. This edition of the gem magazine captures highlights of that journey.

Sweat Africa: Inspiring young people to pursue careers in tech and entrepreneurship. We are on a mission to help and create founders to change the world from Africa.

As part of their visit to the Stellenbosch University, the universities in the Bavarian delegation toured CERI’s state-of-the-art facilities at the Tygerberg Campus on 4 November. Accompanied by Prof Tulio de Oliveira and senior researchers, the group explored how CERI is driving innovation in genomic surveillance and building scientific partnerships across Africa