Welcome to the web site of the Southern Africa Association for the Advancement of Science, also known as the S2A3. The Association was founded in 1902, making it the oldest scientific organisation in the country. Please see the History of the Association section for more information.
The S2A3 presents a number of prestigious awards to promising postgraduate students and young as well as established scientists. In addition, the Pretoria Branch organizes public, popular lectures during the year. A overview of past lectures is available. In order to be kept up to date with the latest lectures, please join our mailing list.
S2A3 is run by volunteers. Without their input the S2A3 would no longer exist.
We hope you find our web site informative as far as the activities of the Association are concerned. Please forward any queries or suggestions about this web site to the Webmaster.
Our contact details
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Past presidents of the S2A3:
1903 Sir David Gill - Cape Town
1904 Sir Charles Metcalfe - Johannesburg
1905 Theodore Reunert - Johannesburg
1906 Gardner F Williams - Kimberley
1907 Dr James Hyslop - Durban
1908 H E the Hon. Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson - Grahamstown
1909 H E Sir Hamilton Goold-Adams - Bloemfontein
1910 Dr Thomas Muir - Cape Town
1911 Prof P D Hahn - Bulawayo
1912 Sir Arnold Theiler - Port Elizabeth
1913 Dr A W Roberts - Lourenco Marques
1914 Professor Rudolph Marloth - Kimberley
1915 Dr R T A Innes - Pretoria
1916 Professor L Crawford - Pietermaritzburg
1917 Professor John Orr - Stellenbosch
1918 Dr C F Juritz - Johannesburg
1919 Rev W Flint - King Williamstown
1920 Dr I B Pole-Evans - Bulawayo
1921 Prof J E Duerden - Durban
1922 Dr A W Rogers - Lourenco Marques
1923 Professor J D F Gilchrist - Bloemfontein
1924 Professor J A Wilkinson - Cape Town
1925 General the Rt Hon J C Smuts - Oudtshoorn
1926 Dr E T Mellor - Pretoria
1927 Professor Harold B Fantham - Salisbury
1928 Sir Carruthers Beattie - Kimberley
1929 Hon J H Hofmeyr - South Africa [Cape Town and Johannesburg]
1930 H E Wood - Caledon
1931 Professor J W Bews - Grahamstown
1932 Professor P J du Toit - Durban
1933 Dr Robert Broom - Barberton
1934 Dr A L du Toit - Port Elizabeth
1935 Dr M M Rindl - Paarl
1936 H E the Rt Hon the Earl of Clarendon - Johannesburg
1937 Lt.-Col C Graham-Botha - Windhoek
1938 Professor L F Maingard - Pietermaritzburg
1939 Professor G H Stanley - East London
1940 Professor C G S de Villiers - Johannesburg
1941 James Gray - Johannesburg
1942 Dr E P Phillips - Johannesburg
1943 Dr A Pijper - Johannesburg
1944 Col J G Rose - Johannesburg
1945 E C Chubb - Johannesburg
1946 Dr the Hon F E T Krause - Pretoria
1947 Professor H H Paine - Oudtshoorn
1948 Dr S H Skaife - Lourenco Marques
1949 Dr Gilles de Kock - Kimberley
1950 Professor C van Riet Lowe - Salisbury
1951 Professor E G Malherbe - Durban
1952 Dr B F J Schonland - Cape Town
1953 Professor Raymond A Dart - Bulawayo
1954 Professor P R Kirby - Bloemfontein
1955 Dr T B Davie - Grahamstown
1956 Dr S Meiring-Naude - Nelspruit
1957 Professor R H Compton - Pretoria
1958 Professor A E H Bleksley - Lourenco Marques
1959 Dr R Elsdon-Dew - Pietermaritzburg
1960 Dr Bernard Smit - Johannesburg
1961 Dr R A Dyer - Port Elizabeth
1962 Dr J P Duminy - Cape Town
1963 Dr Simon Biesheuwel - Durban
1964 Professor Govert C van Drimmelen
1965 Dr R H Marloth - East London
1966 Dr A C Hoffman - Stellenbosch
1967 Professor C A du Toit
1968 Mr J L Lintner - Lourenco Marques
1969 Professor J F V Phillips - Pietermaritzburg
1970 Professor I D Macrone - Cape Town
1971 Professor A W Bayer - Durban
Professor J P F Sellschop - Executive
1972 Dr G R Bozzoli - Johannesburg
Professor J P F Sellschop - Executive
1973 Professor S H Haughton - Pretoria
Mr D F Retief - Executive
1974 Dr J M Hyslop - Grahamstown
Mr D F Retief - Executive
1975/76 Professor O Wipplinger - Stellenbosch [AGM] and Nelspruit
1977/78 Mr L S Richfield - Potchefstroom [AGM] and Stellenbosch
1979/80 Professor D M Joubert - Pretoria [AGM] and Pretoria
1981/82 Mr D G Kingwill - Pretoria [AGM] and Pretoria
1983/84 R D Griesel
1985/86 Dr G K Nelson
1987 Brig G N Robertson
1988/89/90 Professor Eric Holm
1990/91 Professor Paul Smit
1991- May1996 Professor Johann Wolfaardt
May 1996/2012 Dr Ian Raper
Directions to the Sci-Enza
The lectures of the Pretoria Branch of the S2A3 are usually held in the Auditorium of the Sci-Enza (GPS coordinates of the entrance: 25.7519 S, 28.2316 E, or just look up "Sci-Enza" on Goolge Maps).
The most practical access to campus is via the University Road entrance. Do not enter the parking lot, but drive up the ramp, and turn left at the mini-circle. Follow the Ring Road and drive a quarter of the way around the campus; Sci-Enza, a white building, will be on your left just before you get to the Mirage.
List of award winners: S2A3 Certificate of Merit
1948 Mr J H Power (palaeontology); J A Swan (archaeology); Ethyl L Gray (history of geology)
1949 A J E Gibbs (protozoology)
1950 G W Reynolds (botany); S H Rubidge (palaeontology)
1954 S F le Roux (palaeobotany, archaeology)
1958 John Voelcker (natural history); A R Willcox (rock art); J Moreira Rato (marine biology)
1963 J J Rudner (archaeology); T M Salter (botany)
1964-1966 James Kitching (palaeontology); A R Hughes (physical and palaeo-anthropology)
1967 R A Jubb (freshwater fish)
1981 Dr C G Crocker; Dr Graham S Baker (advancement of science); Mr Derek Griffiths
1982 Brig G N Robertson (advancement of science); Mr Jan C Horn and Mr Marinus W Wijnbeek (public understanding of science)
1983 Prof M M Smith; Dr C F Albrecht; Mr D Gray; Miss I Hitchcock
1986 Mr Isaac Macdonald Badirwang Thoka (science education)
1987 Prof Danie Joubert
1989 Dr Bertha van Drimmelen (service to S2A3); Mr Eugen Helius Hanau (service to S2A3); Dr Frans August Korb (service to S2A3); Mrs Anne Pauline Bentum (service to S2A3)
1990 Prof Michael J Wingfield (plant pathology); Dr Ortrud Ruth Oellerman (graph theory)
1991 Mrs Esme den Dulk (service to S2A3); Prof David Gerhardus Roux (chemistry, service to S2A3); Mr Derek J Gray (science education); Prof Keith Paul Klugman (medical microbiology)
1992 Mr Carl Heinrich Ahlers (science education); Mr Lawrence Graham Robertson (education); Mr William Macdonald Smith (education); Dr Frans August Korb (psychiatry)
1993 Prof Kristo Pienaar (botany, public understanding of science); Dr Abraham Johannes van Zyl (technical education); Prof Walter Friedrich Wargau (astronomy); Dr Marissa Rollnick (science education)
1994 Mr Gerard A den Dulk (posthumous, service to S2A3); Gencor Development Trust (sponsorship)
1995 Prof J Wolfaardt (service to S2A3); Dr F Kok (service to S2A3)
1996 Mrs Ursula Ortner (posthumous, service to S2A3); Mr Marinus W Wijnbeek (public understanding of science); Mr Gert Frederick (Fritz) van Rooyen (chemistry, advancement of science)
1997 Dr Edmund Glyn Jones (service to S2A3)
1998 Dr Gerhard von Gruenewald (geology, service to S2A3); Prof John D Bradley (science education); Dr Graham Baker (special award, advancement of science)
1999 Prof Geoffrey Falkson (oncology); Prof Willem Oelofsen (service to S2A3); Dr Erla Harden (chemistry); Dr Lajos Vari (entomology)
2000 Mr Hermann Ortner (service to S2A3)
2001 Dr Ansie Dippenaar-Schoeman (arachnology); Mr Mike Lawrie (development of the internet in SA); Dr J J Taljaard (meteorology)
2002 Dr Johann Carl (John) Vogel (radiological dating); 50/50 TV series team (knowledge and appreciation of the natural environment); Prof P D Tyson (meteorology); Dr Charles Kimberlin (Bob) Brain (zoology, palaeontology); Prof Will Alexander (civil engineering); Dr Phil C Minnaar (service to S2A3); Prof Govert Cornelis van Drimmelen (service to S2A3)
2003 Mr Mohammed Valli Moosa (conservation of the environment); Prof Gideon Smith (botany); the Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Africa (nature conservation); Mrs Shirley Korsman (service to S2A3)
2004 Prof Bruce Robertson (botany, service to S2A3); Prof John Skinner (mammal research)
2006 Dr Ian Raper (service to S2A3)
2009 Prof Casper Schutte (service to S2A3); Mrs Engela van Dyk (service to S2A3); Mrs Renaene van Dyk (service to S2A3); Mr Michael Ortner (service to S2A3); Prof Cornelis Plug (service to S2A3).
2014 Ms Isabel Davies (science education); Mr Arden Meyer (service to S2A3)