Namibia's and South Africa's national research entities have signed a five-year partnership looking at addressing shared priorities in energy, digital health, agro-food systems, and space science.

The National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa signed an agreement at the 13th Annual Meeting of the Global Research Council, of which both institutions are members, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, recently.

Key focus areas include student and staff exchanges, access to advanced research infrastructure and support systems, and joint researcher rating and award mechanisms to recognise research excellence.

CEO of NCRST, Professor Anicia Peters, described the move as a joint commitment in building a cohesive African research ecosystem capable of delivering globally relevant impacts.