Category: Uncategorized

During the 2025 SAMS AGM, Christian Budde and Simo Mthethwa were formally elected to the SAMS Council as President and Vice-President, respectively. In addition, Andrew Craig, Madelein Thiersen, and Chevarra Hansraj were appointed on an interim basis as Financial Manager, General Secretary, and the Liaison Portfolio Holder. We are immensely grateful to all of them for their willingness to serve the Society.

The current SAMS Council consists of the following individuals:

• President: Christian Budde
• Vice-president: Simo Mthethwa
• General Secretary: Madelein Thiersen (interim)
• Financial Manager: Andrew Craig (interim)
• Scientific Activities: Karin-Therese Howell
• Development and Public Relations: Francois Schulz
• Education: Rina Durandt
• Liaison: Chevarra Hansraj (interim)

​Co-opted members:

• QM matters: Sanne Ter Horst
• Notices of the SAMS: Boitumelo Moletsane

For more details on the responsibilities of the Council members, please see the SAMS website: https://www.sams.ac.za/governance-sams/

The allocated venue for the SAMS Congress 2025 in Gqeberha is the Inkanyezi Building on the Summerstrand South Campus (South Campus is next to Ocean Sciences Campus). The Inkanyezi Building is indicated as Building 127, on the Summerstrand South Campus map, which will be posted on the congress website. We look forward to welcoming you next week in Gqeberha.

The local organizing committee

New Director of AIMS South Africa

We are excited to share the excellent news that SAMS Council member, Prof. Karin-Therese Howell, has been appointed as the new Director of AIMS (African Institute for Mathematical Sciences) South Africa, starting from 1st of December 2025. We wish her all the best in this significant new role!

SAMS Council Executive

SAMS Council has approved to recommend amendment of constitution for including a new membership category of “Associate Member” without voting rights, for any individual (from industry, government, undergraduate mathematics programmes, etc.) who does not qualify for any of the existing membership types, but who is keen to support SAMS and/or has a strong desire to be part of the SAMS community. The precise proposed changes to the constitution are highlighted in this document:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1B4OUmJCNZX0uCdAX-PsCK_isI-Llr7UjqvcdIjRyohI/edit?usp=sharing 
There will be a discussion and vote on these changes at the AGM during the upcoming SAMS Congress.

Dear Member

I would like to extend my sincere thanks for your continued support of the South African Mathematical Society through the payment of your 2025 membership fee.

If you have not yet paid your membership, we kindly encourage you to do so at your earliest convenience.

Regards
Dr Wen-Chi Kuo
SAMS Financial Manager

The School of Mathematics and the School of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics at the University of the Witwatersrand will host a special seminar by Prof. Andreas Meister (University of Kassel, Germany) on Thursday, 16 October 2025 from 10:15 to 11:00 in the T.W. Kambule Mathematical Sciences Building, Floor 3, Seminar Room. Below is some information about the talk and speaker:

• Title: “Asymptotic Analysis and Numerical Methods for Compressible Flows at all Mach Numbers”
• Abstract: abstract_meister_asymptotic
• CV: cv_meister
• Publication record: publications_meister

Those interested to attend can contact Dr. Rina Durandt (rina.durandt@wits.ac.za) for more details.

In preparation for this year’s AGM at the 68th annual SAMS Congress scheduled to take place at Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha from 2 to 5 December 2025, the current SAMS Council requested nominations for positions on the Council that will become vacant at the end of the year.

The closing date for nominations was on 30 September 2025, and we are happy to report that we have received the following nominations (which we list alphabetically, including links to their CVs, and where AP indicates that the nominee has listed the role as an “alternative portfolio” choice on the form):

President:

• Dr. Christian Budde (UFS) (CV_Budde)
• Prof. Sudan Hansraj (UKZN) (CV_Hansraj)
• Prof. Seithuti Moshokoa (TUT) (CV_Moshokoa)
• Dr. Simo Mthethwa (UKZN) (CV_Mthethwa) (AP)

 Vice-President:

• Prof. Maggie Aphane (SMU) (CV_Aphane)
• Dr. Christian Budde (UFS) (CV_Budde) (AP)
• Dr. Simo Mthethwa (UKZN) (CV_Mthethwa) (AP)

Financial Manager:

• Dr. Simo Mthethwa (UKZN) (CV_Mthethwa) (AP)

Liaison:

• Dr. Simo Mthethwa (UKZN) (CV_Mthethwa)

For more details on the responsibilities of the Council members and a description of these positions, kindly consult the SAMS website: https://www.sams.ac.za/governance-sams

We encourage all SAMS members to review the CVs of the nominees carefully to ensure that an informed decision can be made during the formal election at the AGM. In particular, members will have the opportunity to comment on each candidate’s suitability and to vote for the person they believe is best suited to the role. It is therefore essential that every vote is based on a well-considered assessment.

Any unfilled portfolios which result from the above election will receive interim appointments by ad-hoc nomination at the AGM.

We thank you in advance for your valuable contributions, and we look forward to your participation at this year’s AGM.

Fundamano: where mathematics meets theatre

Next week, there will be a third instalment of the Fundamano production: Drostdy Theatre in Stellenbosch on 28 August 2025 at 20:00! Tickets are available at www.webtickets.co.za (special rate for students and school learners). There are some sponsored seats as well, so please write to Professor Janelidze (zurab@sun.a.za) if you or your friends/family would like to be considered for those. 

This year’s production, filled with comedy, music, science and philosophy (as usual) will tackle the following question: what is the future of mathematics and quantum physics in an era where AI has replaced the human soul?

Poster: Fundamano3
Evolving digital poster: https://futuremath.net/fundamano

Fundamano 3 is a third edition of mathematics on stage production series, introduced during the international year of basic sciences for sustainable development in 2022 as a joint effort of the Academy of Sciences of South Africa, Department of Science and Innovation, the National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences, South African Mathematical Society, Stellenbosch University and Wisaarkhu.

Dear SAMF Stakeholder,

It is a privilege to introduce myself as the new Executive Director of the South African Mathematics Foundation. I bring to this role more than three decades of experience as a mathematics educator and academic, including my most recent position as Head of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the Tshwane University of Technology.

Having served on SAMF’s Board of Directors for nearly a decade, I am deeply familiar with the Foundation’s mission and proud to now lead its efforts to advance mathematics education and advocacy across the country.

My priorities for the years ahead include strengthening the training of mathematics teachers, broadening access to our projects through targeted support for struggling learners, and ensuring the Foundation’s long-term financial sustainability. I also believe it is important to clarify that SAMF’s work complements—and does not compete with—that of other organisations working to build capacity in the mathematical sciences.

Thank you for the role you continue to play in supporting SAMF’s impact. I look forward to engaging with you as we take the Foundation’s work into its next chapter.

Warm regards,
Prof Seithuti Moshokoa
Executive Director
South African Mathematics Foundation

Awards and Student Prizes at the 2024 SAMS Congress

During the Gala Dinner at the 67th Annual Congress of SAMS, which was hosted at the University of Pretoria from 4 to 6 December 2024, we had the honour to recognize two individuals who have made immense contributions to Mathematics in South Africa. The 2024 SAMS Award for Research Distinction was bestowed on Prof. Stefan Veldsman, and Prof. Sudan Hansraj received the 2024 SAMS Award for the Advancement of Mathematics. Below are some photos showcasing the recipients with their Awards. A heartfelt congratulations to Prof. Veldsman on the left, and Prof. Hansraj on the right!

During the closing ceremony of the 2024 SAMS Congress, we also had the opportunity to recognize the best student talks at the event. The recipients of the respective prizes are shown below. Congratulations on this fine achievement! We look forward to witnessing your bright futures in Mathematics…