Dr Happy Sithole appointed to the NITheCS Steering Committee
NITheCS is pleased to announce that the National Research Foundation (NRF) has appointed Dr Happy Sithole, Centre Manager of the National Integrated Cyber-Infrastructure System (NICIS), to the NITheCS Steering Committee.
Dr Sithole is a key leader in South Africa’s cyber-infrastructure ecosystem. He is responsible for coordinating a comprehensive national cyber-infrastructure to support the South African National System of Innovation. This includes oversight and integration of the Centre for High Performance Computing (CHPC), the South African National Research Network (SANReN), and the Data Intensive Research Initiative of South Africa (DIRISA).
With extensive experience in high-performance computing (HPC), Dr Sithole has played a foundational role in building South Africa’s national HPC capability. As Director of the CHPC since its establishment, he has led its development from inception into a fully operational national facility that now supports over 1 000 users. His work has included formulating national strategies for cyber-infrastructure and advancing the integration of high-speed networks, large-scale data repositories, and computational platforms.
Dr Sithole has also contributed significantly to regional and international initiatives. He has been instrumental in developing high-performance computing capacity across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and supporting HPC development in Square Kilometre Array (SKA) partner countries. In addition, he has chaired sessions at international supercomputing conferences, contributing to global knowledge exchange in the field.
His professional experience spans research, engineering, and leadership roles, including positions at PBMR and De Beers Consolidated Mines. Dr Sithole holds a PhD in Physics from the University of Limpopo and has served on several boards, including as Chair of the ICT Committee of the National Library of South Africa, where he has championed digital connectivity initiatives for libraries and rural communities.
Welcoming the appointment, NITheCS Director, Prof Francesco Petruccione, said:
“Dr Sithole’s appointment to the Steering Committee brings exceptional expertise in cyber-infrastructure and high-performance computing. His leadership in building and integrating national research platforms will be invaluable as NITheCS continues to advance the theoretical and computational sciences in South Africa.”
Dr Sithole is currently serving in the Steering Committee of the Computational Collaboration Projects (CCP) in the United Kingdom, where he is one of the two external people within the Committee. Coupled with his experience in chairing the NITheCS Interim Steering Committee, this experience will be valuable for the development of NITheCS.
The NITheCS Steering Committee provides overall strategic and operational direction to the Institute, setting its vision and priorities while monitoring progress at a high level. Chaired by Prof Aldo Stroebel and comprising leaders from academia, government, and industry, the committee ensures that NITheCS remains aligned with national and international research goals.
