Scifest Africa goes to Grahamstown

The Square Kilometre Array will be one of the topics covered at this year's SciFest in Grahamstown. Image: Wikipedia

This year's festival will be held under the theme 'Into the Space' in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape from 12 to 18 March.

Acting Cabinet spokesperson Phumla Williams said the annual event promotes science, technology, engineering and mathematics as career opportunities to the youth.

"Government continues to prioritise and promote the uptake of mathematics and physical science as part of developing the critical skills needed by our developing economy," she said.

Scifest Africa was established in 1996 to promote public awareness, understanding and appreciation of maths and science. It also helps to build an interest in the learning of these fields in an informal way, and to encourage the youth of South Africa to follow careers and become leaders in these fields.

The 2014 festival programme will offer an expected 65,000 visitors over 500 events that will explore spaces big and small, such as anatomy and the brain, astronomy, the atmosphere, architecture, biotechnology, geographical regions, nanotechnology, psychology, underground and underwater exploration, space sciences and the Square Kilometre Array.