The South African Population Research Infrastructure Network (SAPRIN) recently released its Individual Surveillance Episodes 2024 Datasets . It contains longitudinal population data from 1 January 1993 to 31 December 2023 for three rural Health and Demographic Surveillance Site (HDSS) nodes, namely Agincourt, DIMAMO and AHRI. 

This dataset contains a picture of the continually evolving population dynamics in these nodes. SAPRIN is unique in that it collects longitudinal data that is accessible to scientists and students to further their research requirements.  The data is not based on a sample but contains information from the complete demographic surveillance areas. 

The release consist of three types of datasets viz; Basic Dataset, Age-Year Dataset and Age-year Delivery Dataset. These are available to the public and can be accessed via this link https://saprindata.samrc.ac.za/index.php/catalog/88/study-description.  

The African Population Cohorts Consortium (APCC) was formally launched in June, marking a transformative moment in African health research by uniting large-scale population cohorts across the continent to mobilise longitudinal data for research, policy, and societal impact. 

The APCC is a pioneering initiative with a bold vision to advance Africa’s scientific potential. At its core, APCC is about shifting the centre of gravity for population science to Africa, by Africans. The Consortium was officially launched during a high-level convening in Cape Town in May 2024, where more than 40 African population cohorts from 16 African countries endorsed the APCC blueprint that defines the vision, values, governance, and an ambitious three-pronged research agenda focused on ethics, data harmonisation, and translational impact 

SAPRIN welcomed its seventh Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) research node on 27 November 2024, during an official launch event at the Kanana Multi-cultural Centre in Rustenburg. The Bafokeng Health and Demographic Surveillance Node (BAMMISHO) is located in the Royal Bafokeng Nation near Rustenburg, North West Province. Located near Rustenburg’s platinum mines, this research hub will focus on the social and health effects of mining and migration on local communities. 

Speaking at the launch, Dr Kobus Herbst, Director of the South African Population Research Infrastructure Network (SAPRIN) remarked, “The addition of BAMMISHO as our seventh node marks an important expansion of SAPRIN’s network. This new site will not only generate essential insights into the health and socio-economic impacts of mining and migration but also strengthen our collective research capacity to address the unique challenges facing South African communities.” Dr Herbst welcomed BAMMISHO as the seventh and newest node in South Africa aiming to produce high-quality research and enhance research capacity. 

The South African Population Research Infrastructure Network (SAPRIN) bid farewell to its Director and Co-Director, Dr Kobus Herbst and Professor Mark Collinson. Their tenure at the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) ended on 31 March 2025. 

Dr Herbst and Professor Collinson have played a remarkable role in establishing SAPRIN. Kobus and Mark have been actively involved since the grant application phase of SAPRIN via the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation’s (DSTI) South African Research Infrastructure Roadmap (SARIR). SAPRIN is funded by the DSTI and hosted by the SAMRC. 

In this edition of the SAPRIN Connection, we speak to Tinofa Mutevedzi, the Research Operations Manager at SAPRIN.  

Tinofa has been involved in SAPRIN since its conceptualisation in 2018. As the head of Research Operations, he works tirelessly to bring to life the vision of a national population research infrastructure. He has played a crucial role in setting up SAPRIN which has expanded from 3 founding Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems (HDSS) to a network of seven nodes.   

Tinofa had his heart set on becoming a social worker and was excelling at his BSc degree at the University of Zimbabwe, when a chance encounter with a demography Professor made him rethink his career path.

On 29 May 2025 the Umlazi Surveillance Initiative to Nurture Grassroots Action (USINGA) and the Africa Research, Implementation Science & Education Network (ARISE) hosted a high-impact hybrid stakeholder engagement at K-RITH, University of KwaZulu-Natal. The event brought together an impressive range of partners from government, academia, NGOs, and development sectors to explore adolescent health and nutrition in South Africa and beyond. 

Participating stakeholders included the KwaZulu-Natal Office of the Premier; Departments of Health, Social Development, Agriculture & Rural Development, Basic and Higher Education, and COGTA; Stats SA; CAPRISA; CDC; UNICEF; UNFPA; WHO; SAMRC; DAC; UKZN Sport; and the Foundation for Professional Development. Academic institutions represented included UKZN, UNIZULU and MUT. 

The aim of this collaborative gathering was to share research findings, align priorities and create new opportunities for partnerships around adolescent health, demographic surveillance, and evidence-based policy. 

On 16 April the University of Johannesburg Gauteng Research Triangle Inspired (UJ GRT-I) in collaboration with Pre-Ves, a Hillbrow-based non-governmental organisation and Phumelela Institute, successfully hosted the first-ever Hillbrow Schools Debating Competition.  

The event brought together three local schools: Phumelela Institute, Whitestone College, and Africa House College. Held at Roseneath Primary School, the competition was also supported by the University of Johannesburg’s Community Engagement Unit. The event was further honoured by the presence of Anga Jamela, Marketing and Communications Manager at the Thabo Mbeki Foundation, who lent her support to this important initiative as the senior adjudicator. 

This year marks a major milestone for the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI) as they celebrate 25 years of their Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS).  

The official launch of the 25th anniversary celebrations took place in March 2025 during an AHRI townhall meeting. This soft launch set the stage for a year-long series of activities that will highlight the AHRI HDSS’s contribution to research, honour its founders and acknowledge contributions and participation from the surveillance communities, staff, partners and stakeholders.  

During a fieldwork visit on 18 April the University of Pretoria (UP) team from the South African Population Research Infrastructure Network (SAPRIN) stepped in to make a life-changing intervention. A mother and her two children were rescued from an abusive household in Melusi after UP researchers intervened during a routine community visit. This showcased how research can translate into real-world impact.  

While conducting household data collection as part of the Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS), researchers identified a household in urgent distress. A woman living with her two children—a girl aged 11 and a boy aged 13—was found to be experiencing abuse at the hands of her current boyfriend. The situation was further compounded by the fact that both children were not attending school at the time. 

The USINGA HDSS proudly hosted BAMMISHO—the SAPRIN network’s newest and seventh node, based in the North-West—for a three-day visit from 25 – 27 March. This visit was designed as a knowledge exchange, providing BAMMISHO with a valuable opportunity to benchmark best practices in HDSS node management. The goal was to support BAMMISHO’s growth and enhance its operational capacity by drawing on USINGA’s extensive experience and deep operational knowledge.  

BAMMISHO aimed to learn from USINGA’s established practices, gain insights into effective strategies for node development and better anticipate potential challenges in managing a population research infrastructure. This collaboration marks an important step in strengthening BAMMISHO’s foundation as it prepares to start operations. 

Earlier this year the C-SHARP node reached a significant milestone, the registration of 100,000 individuals, reached on the CHAMP app, an innovative tool for community health workers working within the two communities of Nomzamo and Bishop Lavis under the C-SHARP HDSS node. On the 14th of March a celebratory event saw C-SHARP consortium partners, funders, and community members from Nomzamo and Bishop Lavis gathering under the inspirational theme, "From Nomzamo to Bishop Lavis – 100k Stories, One Future."  

On 4th April 2025, the Community Engagement (CE) Unit within the University Relations Division at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) proudly hosted the annual UJ Community Engagement Day. This event served as a platform to showcase the impactful work being done by various faculties and divisions in partnership with communities, work that aligns with and contributes to UJ’s Strategic Plan 2035, which emphasises positive societal impact as a core value. 

Times are tough and jobs are few in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga. So 24-year-old Wisdom Ngobeni created Chillas World, a gaming lounge and airtime outlet. 

Wisdom Ngobeni had two dreams: the first was to find a lounge-like space where young people could play games and conveniently buy airtime, electricity or betting vouchers.  

The second was to engage his community and give his peers a feeling of purpose and connection.  

Dr André Rose, Director (Acting) of SAPRIN graduated from the Kofi Annan Fellowship in Global Health Leadership in Ethiopia on 30 May. He is one of 25 graduates of the fourth cohort of the programme.  

Dr Linda Maoyi, SAPRIN Data Scientist presented a course on, “Health & Demographic Surveillance Systems,” at the Wits University School of Public Health.  

The Gauteng Research Triangle Inspired (GRT-I) has partnered with the Biokinetics Department at the University of Johannesburg to launch an exercise programme aimed at improving the health and well-being of elderly residents at the Gerald Fitzpatrick Home.