Dr Sepo Hachigonta is the Executive Manager: Strategic Partnerships, Networking and Resources at the National Research Foundation (NRF) in South Africa.
© Sepo Hachigonta
He holds a master’s and doctoral degree in Environmental Science from the University of Cape Town. His research interests lie in transdisciplinary fields and Africa’s science, technology, and innovation (STI) policy landscape.
In 2007, Dr Hachigonta was a first-year PhD student studying Crop and Climate Modelling and a member of the Young Scientists Summer Program (YSSP) at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA). This early foundation sparked his enduring commitment to systems analysis and open science. In his current leadership role at the NRF, he continues to play a vital role in advancing systems analysis expertise and promoting open science to address pressing global challenges. These efforts are evident in initiatives such as the Southern African Systems Analysis Centre (SASAC), a multi-year initiative supporting systems analysis interventions in Africa, and the African Open Science Platform (AOSP), a pan-African initiative aimed at positioning African scientists at the forefront of data-intensive science.
Dr Hachigonta has played a pivotal role in developing and supporting the higher education and research ecosystem in South Africa and the region. In addition to spearheading the NRF’s bilateral and multilateral partnerships, he has led numerous programmes to enhance research capacity, science-policy linkages, and innovation systems across Africa. Notably, he has championed South Africa’s participation in regional and international bodies, including the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), the International Science Council, and IIASA.
He has published extensively in environmental and agricultural systems, with a specific focus on the interface between research and policy. Dr Hachigonta is the author, co-author, or editor of more than 40 publications, including over 20 articles in international peer-reviewed journals.
With a strong network of collaborators across the African continent and beyond, Dr Hachigonta has worked with partners in more than 20 African countries. His expertise spans strategic stakeholder engagement across public and private sectors, nurturing partnerships that bridge science, policy, and practice.
In 2024, Dr Hachigonta was appointed Chair of the Council Membership Committee of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), serving from 01 January 2024 to 31 December 2026. IIASA is an independent international research institute with National and Regional Member Organisations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. As a member of the IIASA Council, he continues to advance regional systems analysis capacity and Africa’s role in global science-policy discourse.