On 23 March 2023, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will host Belgium's King Philippe at its indoor energy storage testbed facility in Pretoria. He will be accompanied by the South African Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande.
The Belgian King is in South Africa at the invitation of President Cyril Ramaphosa. The visit – the first to South Africa by the Belgian monarchy – is a demonstration of the strong bilateral relations that exist between the two countries, as well as an opportunity to expand and strengthen economic ties, with a focus on trade, foreign direct investment and tourism.
South Africa and Belgium are also pursuing cooperation in renewable energy, in particular, green hydrogen.
Last year, the CSIR signed a memorandum of understanding with the Flemish Institute for Technological Innovation (VITO) to establish the testbed for electrical storage in South Africa under the Framework of the World Bank's Energy Storage Partnership.
The facility is equipped with a high-precision system for battery module and pack tests. It has many channels to test numerous batteries in parallel, under dissimilar test cycles.
The new infrastructure and associated expertise will strengthen South Africa's ability to support local players in the battery value chain, boosting the country's capabilities in renewable energy storage.
Members of the media are invited as follows:
Date: Thursday, 23 March 2023
Time: 15:30 for 15:45
Venue: Building 24, CSIR Campus (North Gate), Meiring Naudé Road
RSVP by 20 March 2023 to Media Relations Intern Phetolo Phatsibi at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For more information contact David Mandaha, CSIR Media Relations Manager on or 072 126 8910 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Julian Leshilo-Sebake on Julian. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 060 961 2194
