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Developing the Future of Quantum Talent in South Africa
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SA QuTI supports students through bursaries, node‑based research, training, and internships — building national capacity in quantum technologies.

51
Bursaries awarded
~90
Students working on quantum projects p.a.
65+
Students graduated (nodes & bursaries)

Current bursary students

Mbali Lerumo
MSc, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University
Patrick Kinsey
MSc, University of Pretoria
Peter Tumiel
MSc, University of Cape Town
Yeuko Manganyi
MSc, University of Cape Town
Moegamad Seboa
MSc, University of the Western Cape
Mosala Israel
MSc, Nelson Mandela University
Courtney Brown
PhD, University of the Witwatersrand
Lerato Ramoyadi
PhD, University of KwaZulu-Natal
Francois Conradie 
PhD, University of Pretoria

Student highlights

Prize winners over the years

Our students and researchers have received wide ranging national and international recognition. Award recipients include Bereneice Septhon, Keshaan Singh, Chane Moodley, Cade Peters, Pedro Ornelas, Lehloa Mohapi, Light Mkhumbuza, Leerin Perumal, Mwezi Koni, Fazilah Nothlawala, Chisomo Daka, Hadrian Bezuidenhout, Conrad Strydom, and Unathi Skosana, from SAIP (2022–2025), ICOAM, Singapore Plasmonics, International Congress on Optics and the International Photonics Conference (Turkey). These accolades span first place international prizes, Best Student and Best Presentation awards, and prestigious distinctions including the Harry Crossley Foundation Award and the national S2A3 Medal.

Bertus van Heerden

In 2024, Bertus completed his PhD theses in which he reported the advancements he made during his PhD to develop single-molecule and single-photon techniques for biological applications. These techniques are state-of-the-art active-feedback spectroscopy methods that can extract the ultimate level of information from every detected photon emitted by small biological systems in their natural environments. This is made possible, by examining the emission patterns of the photons. Bertus developed sophisticated theoretical models and implemented them experimentally, which demanded a broad range of skills in disparate fields such as quantum optics, software engineering, biochemistry, statistics, signal regulation, and device communication.

During his PhD, he received the prestigious Fulbright scholarship. He also won the the NRF’s Research Excellence Award for Next Generation Researchers in 2023.

    Resources

    “The bursary has opened doors to opportunities I never imagined, empowering me to focus on my studies and pursue my dreams with confidence.”
    Mbali Lerumo
    MSc, Sefako Makgatho Health Science University
    “It only takes one person to believe in you , one win to breakthrough, one door to unlocking great opportunity. SA QuTI empowered me to go beyond the finish line”

    Chibuzo Charles Arinze

    BSc, Tshwane University of Techonolgy
    “The bursary has been instrumental in enabling me to advance my research in quantum machine learning, providing the resources and support necessary to explore innovative solutions in this field.”
    Thuso Mathaha
    PhD, University of the Witwatersrand
    “The SA QuTI bursary has given me confidence to base my physics PhD on the trans-disciplinary combination of quantum metrology and sensing with biophysics.”
    Francois Conradie
    PhD, University of Pretoria
    “The SA QuTI bursary has helped me to experience and be apart of things I never even thought are possible and that really opened doors for me, gave me the opportunity to DREAM BIG.”
    Hanan Carlos Vincente Swanepoel
    Honours, Stellenbosch University
    “SA QuTI bursary has allowed me to explore a field that I had not considered before. Upon completing my project, I had gained a new interest within quantum computing that I have decided to continue into masters within this field.”
    Isa Tippens
    Honours, University of the Western Cape

      Previous bursary students

      Bibin Mohan George – PhD (2025)

      “A theory of the Cotton-Mouton effect in dense fluids.” Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT)

      Donovan Slabbert – PhD (2025)

      “Quantum Machine Learning Applied to Astronomical Datasets” Stellenbosch University (SUN)

      Thuso Mathaha – PhD (2025)

      “The use of Quantum Machine Learning to perform binary classification using ATLAS monte carlo data for four top quarks” University of the Witwatersrand (Wits)

      Abigail Iyer – MSc (2025)

      “Numerical Modelling of ^171Yb^+ Qubit Control and Laser Frequency Stabilisation for Electron Shelving” Stellenbosch University (SUN)

      Sachin Reddy – MSc (2025)

      “Quantum LSTM Architectural Analysis for Long-Term Time Series Forecasting” University of the KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN)

      Sean Macmillan – MSc (2025)

      “Converting complex unitary matrices to quantum circuits using game trees” University of Pretoria (UP)

      Doron Reuben Sumeruk – Hons (2025)

      “Gated Control and Energy Measurement of Single Electron Current in a Two-Dimensional GaAs/AlGaAs Heterostructure” University of Cape Town (UCT)

      Chibuzo Arinze – BSc (4th year) (2025)

      “Quantum-like technology devices.” Tshwane University of Technology (TUT)

      Ameel Valjee – MSc (2024)

      “Quantum Machine Learning for Enhanced Intrusion Detection” University of Cape Town (UCT)

      Isa Tippens – MSc (2024)

      “A Framework for Secure Financial Transactions with Relativistic Quantum Tokens” University of the Western Cape (UWC)

      Lizwi Shabalala – MSc (2024)

      “Coincidence Counter for Quantum Communication and Metrology” University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN)

      Dhiya Dharampal – Hons (2024)

      “Using Quantum Convolutional Neural Networks to classify Medical Image Data” University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN)

      Hanan Carlos Vincente Swanepoel – Hons (2024)

      “Producing a polarization based entangled photon source for quantum communication” Stellenbosch University (SUN)

      Kgothatso Tshepo Ntumbe – Hons (2024)

      “A Quantum Neural Network for Process Tomography” University of the Witwatersrand (Wits)

      King Massinga – Hons (2024)

      “The Harrow–Hassidim–Lloyd (HHL) Algorithm” University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN)

      Saarisha Govender – Hons (2024)

      “Binary Classification of Pulsars using Quantum Kernel Methods” University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN)

      Thalente Mhlengi Mthembu – Hons (2024)

      “Variational Quantum Linear Solver (VQLS)” University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN)

      Chun Dai – PhD (2023)

      “Ultrafast Transient Absorption Spectroscopy of UV-Absorbing Compounds” Stellenbosch University (SUN)

      Eleanor Kedem – MSc (2023)

      “Simulated Annealing Using Quantum Inspired Algorithms” University of Cape Town (UCT)

      Fazilah Nothlawala – Hons (2023)

      “Imaging in the dark: A quantum single pixel camera” University of the Witwatersrand (Wits)

      Hadrian Bezuidenhout – Hons (2023)

      “Variational Approach to Learning Quantum Unitary Operators” University of the Witwatersrand (Wits)

      Isa Tippens – Hons (2023)

      “Quantum Money” University of the Western Cape (UWC)

      Janice Nair – Hons (2023)

      “Identifying Photonic Quantum States with Machine Learning” University of the Witwatersrand (Wits)

      Pashlene Naidoo – Hons (2023)

      “Modelling the Quantum Noise of IBMQ Transmon Qubits using Hierarchical equations of motion (HEOM)” University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN)

      Sean Macmillan – Hons (2023)

      “Implementation and Investigation of Shor’s factoring algorithm on IBM Quantum Computers” University of Pretoria (UP)

      Shawal Kassim – MSc (2023)

      “A Computational Review of The Maximum Clique Problem: Classical vs. Quantum” University of the Witwatersrand (Wits)