School of Geosciences - University of Witwatersrand

Aug 6

Well done to three of our staff members on reaching the final round of the 2025 National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Awards, held on 31 July 2025. These awards are the largest and most prestigious national honours of their kind in the country, celebrating and promoting excellence in scien...Read more

Well done to three of our staff members on reaching the final round of the 2025 National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Awards, held on 31 July 2025. These awards are the largest and most prestigious national honours of their kind in the country, celebrating and promoting excellence in science, engineering, technology (SET) and innovation by individuals, teams, and organisations in South Africa. We are incredibly proud of both of our professors who were recognised for the TW Kambule-NSTF Award: Professor Glen Nwaila, director of our AfricaResearch Centre for Ore Systems Science (CORES), for his transformative contributions to critical minerals exploration globally and in South Africa. His work involves modernising geostatistical, geometallurgical and machine learning methods, utilising multi-scale geoscience data, and providing thought leadership in mining strategy and uncertainty-quantified mineral policy frameworks. Professor Musa Manzi, associate professor of geophysics at the Wits School of Geosciences and director of the Seismic Research Centre at the University of the Witwatersrand, for his significant scientific work in near-surface mining, energy and environmental geophysics. We also acknowledge Professor Susan Webb, associate professor of geophysics at the Wits School of Geosciences, who was also nominated for the Communication Award, as part of the Centre of Excellence for Integrated Mineral and Energy Resource Analysis (CIMERA) team. We also extend our gratitude to Professor Gillian Drennan, associate professor at the Wits School of Geosciences, for her exceptional efforts as the newly appointed chairperson and head adjudicator of the NSTF Awards. Her dedication in reviewing candidates over many weeks was evident, and we were honoured to witness her take the stage as MC. Finally, a big thank you to all our staff for their support throughout the application and nomination process. Enormous congratulations also go to our fellow Wits University award recipients, as well as our friends and colleagues in STEM across the nation, on their well-deserved awards. #WitsForGood #Wits #WitsGeosciences

Aug 4

Geotalk – Thursday, 7 August Join us for a talk by James Campbell from Botswana Diamonds Plc titled: “The AK6 kimberlite (Karowe Mine): Discovery through to production, learning the lessons of history.” 📅 Date: Thursday, 7 August 🕓 Time: 16h00 📍 Venue: G101, Wits Geosciences 💻 Zoom Meeting ID: 9...Read more

Geotalk – Thursday, 7 August Join us for a talk by James Campbell from Botswana Diamonds Plc titled: “The AK6 kimberlite (Karowe Mine): Discovery through to production, learning the lessons of history.” 📅 Date: Thursday, 7 August 🕓 Time: 16h00 📍 Venue: G101, Wits Geosciences 💻 Zoom Meeting ID: 971 6840 3738 Come hear the story behind one of Botswana’s most significant diamond discoveries — from exploration to extraction.

Aug 1

Join us for a geochronology masterclass, focusing on the fundamentals and advanced applications of U-Pb geochronology. Learn from a distinguished local and international team of experts: 💠Robert Bolhar (Wits School of Geosciences) 💠Scott MacLennan (Wits School of Geosciences) 💠Maria Ovtcharova U...Read more

Join us for a geochronology masterclass, focusing on the fundamentals and advanced applications of U-Pb geochronology. Learn from a distinguished local and international team of experts: 💠Robert Bolhar (Wits School of Geosciences) 💠Scott MacLennan (Wits School of Geosciences) 💠Maria Ovtcharova University of Geneva) 💠Urs Schaltegger (University of Geneva) 💠David Chew (Trinity College Dublin) This masterclass, “Timing Earth Processes”, offers unparalleled insights from leading global and local geochronology experts. It's an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in the geosciences field. Event details: 💠Dates: 27 to 29 October 2025 💠Fee: R200 💠Location: University of the Witwatersrand, Geosciences Building, Johannesburg 💠Registration: https://forms.gle/ZaRgCquSBLq8WhVu5 For further information, please contact our organising team, who will be happy to assist you. 💠Thoriso Lekoetje – 💠2119052@students.wits.ac.za Faith Nyathi – 2364547@students.wits.ac.za #WitsForGood #Wits #WitsGeosciences

Jul 30

This week’s Geotalk (31.07) has been rescheduled — but don’t miss out! Join us instead for the SAGA Seminar, happening tomorrow at 1pm. Check the poster below for details and QR codes to join.

Jul 30

Join us for the launch of Earth Quest Solutions' first geotourism event, in partnership with Babanango Game Reserve. Our inaugural geoheritage walk through the Matatane Camp in KwaZulu-Natal offers a rare opportunity to explore one of Earth's oldest preserved ecosystems. 🪨 This region boasts exc...Read more

Join us for the launch of Earth Quest Solutions' first geotourism event, in partnership with Babanango Game Reserve. Our inaugural geoheritage walk through the Matatane Camp in KwaZulu-Natal offers a rare opportunity to explore one of Earth's oldest preserved ecosystems. 🪨 This region boasts exceptional geological heritage, including well-preserved stromatolites, providing a glimpse into the Archaean biosphere and early life forms 🪨 Gain hands-on experience in field mapping and interpreting ancient environments by exploring diverse sedimentary and volcanic formations Event details: 🗓️ Date: 5 to 9 September 2025 (bookings close on 5 August 2025) 📌 Location: Babanango Game Reserve Embark on a guided tour along the White Umfolozi River and journey approximately 3 500-million years back in time. Immerse yourself in the unique geology of this area while experiencing a world-class Big Five reserve. For more information and bookings, please visit: https://geotourism.witsevents.co.za We look forward to sharing this incredible geoheritage site with the world.