In the 1950s, Nuclear Physics research in South Africa entered a new phase with establishing the National Centre for Nuclear Research and Training in Pretoria. The centre identified applied radioactivity as one of its research fields under the Nuclear Physics Research Laboratory (NPRL) (Mills, 2013). By 1966 (Reitman & Pilcher, 2013), South Africa had six particle accelerators, with the most versatile located at the Southern Universities Nuclear Institute (SUNI) in Faure, Cape Town (SUNI-report, 1964). However, these accelerators were small and relatively old by international standards. A special meeting convened by the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP) in 1966 highlighted the need for infrastructure renewal to facilitate internationally competitive research. It was concluded that developing one or two national facilities to be shared by all users would resolve the challenge (Assessment Report, 1975). A feasibility study for establishing a multidisciplinary national accelerator centre was undertaken between 1973 and 1975 under the leadership of Prof WL Rautenbach from Stellenbosch University. The study recommended (Technical Report, 1976) a 200-MeV separated sector cyclotron (SSC) facility to serve the needs of particle radiotherapy, nuclear physics, nuclear chemistry and isotope production. This primary accelerator would be fed by an 8-MeV injector cyclotron for light ions, with provision for a second injector cyclotron for the acceleration of heavy ions.
The study led to the establishment of the National Accelerator Centre (NAC), administered by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), in 1977, with Dr Heymann as the first director (Annual Report, 1977). The SUNI site in Cape Town was selected as the preferred site in 1979 due to its proximity to local universities and two teaching hospitals, i.e. Tygerberg and Groote Schuur. NAC staff planned and designed the accelerators, the user facilities and equipment, and the necessary buildings and services. Building operations commenced in 1979. The design specifications included an isocentric gantry for neutron therapy, facilities for isotope production, and various experimental equipment. This equipment comprised a scattering chamber, a neutron time-of-flight path, a neutron-beam facility, a sizeable gamma-ray spectrometer, and a magnetic spectrometer.
The existing nuclear science group at the National Physical Research Laboratory (NPRL) joined NAC in 1977. International partnerships were essential to continued research activities (Roos et al., 1977). A scattering chamber was acquired from the University of Maryland after their cyclotron closed down, and design plans to build a magnetic spectrometer were obtained from the Indiana Cyclotron Facility in America. Dr Reitmann became the second NAC director in 1980 and guided the transition from design and construction to operation and maintenance (Annual Report, 1980). The SUNI was formally incorporated into NAC on 1 April 1983 as the Van de Graaff group. The NAC was officially opened on 18 October 1985 (Annual Report, 1986). 1987 became the year of many firsts as the first nuclear physics experiment was conducted with the SSC, the first radioisotopes were produced, and the isocentric neutron unit was commissioned (Annual Report, 1987). This signalled the birth of a multidisciplinary national facility capable of servicing research, particle therapy, and isotope production using a single accelerator.
The facility’s first peer-reviewed article (Cowley et al., 1988) was published internationally in 1988, celebrating the ability of the cyclotron to deliver a beam at its highest energy and showcasing the capabilities of the particle detection infrastructure within less than one year of inauguration. The NAC’s contribution towards student development was evident in the graduation of the first MSc student in 1987 (Förtsch, 1987) and PhD in 1989 (Pilcher, 1989).
1987
- Inception of iThemba LABS: The NAC was transferred to the Foundation of Research Development (FRD), laying the groundwork for iThemba LABS.
- First MSc Student Graduation: The first MSc student graduated from NAC (Förtsch, 1987).
1988
- First Peer-Reviewed Article: Published by Cowley et al., showcasing the capabilities of the cyclotron at its highest energy.
- Closure of Pretoria Cyclotron: The Pretoria cyclotron shut down, and half of its staff was absorbed into the NAC facility in Cape Town.
- First PhD Graduation: The first PhD student graduated (Pilcher, 1989).
1993
- First Proton Therapy Patient Treated: The 200-MeV proton therapy system designed by NAC staff treated its first patient on 10 September 1993.
1995
- Third Director Appointment: Professor John Sharpey-Schafer became the third NAC director.
- Transformation and Educational Focus: White Paper on Science and Technology highlighted NAC’s role in human resource development (DACST, 1996).
1996
- First Publication Using K600 Magnetic Spectrometer: The first research publication using the spectrometer was released (Newman et al., 1996).
1998
- Development of AFRODITE: The African Omni-purpose Detector for Innovative Techniques and Experiments (AFRODITE) was inaugurated, focusing on nuclear structure research.
1999
- Transition to NRF: NAC was transferred to the National Research Foundation (NRF) and renamed iThemba Laboratory for Accelerator-Based Science (LABS).
2001
- Proton Therapy Programme Success: Proton therapy programme contributed significantly to cancer treatment research (Jones DTL, 2001).
In 1988, the Pretoria cyclotron shut down after more than thirty years of operation, and approximately half of the staff complement was absorbed into the NAC facility in Cape Town, where they continued their work on the production of radionuclides, radiobiology, and accelerator operation. The reorganisation of the CSIR in 1987 resulted in the NAC being transferred to the Foundation of Research Development (FRD) (Annual Report, 1988). The 200-MeV horizontal proton-therapy-treatment system, designed and manufactured by NAC staff, was used to treat the first patient on 10 September 1993. The proton therapy programme continued to contribute to the body of knowledge and experience, demonstrating the enormous benefits of proton therapy as a cancer treatment (Jones DTL, 2001). The concept and possible advantages of fixed non-orthogonal proton therapy beamlines were first suggested at NAC (Schreuder et al., 1999). The concept was implemented at the Hyogo Ion Beam Medical Centre in Japan and the Oklahoma Proton Centre in the USA.
Professor John Sharpey-Schafer became the third NAC director in 1995 (Annual Report, 1996). The newly published White Paper on Science and Technology (DACST, 1996) prescribed the contribution that National Facilities should make to human resource development and the advancement of scientific literacy. This new focus was on transforming and impacting educationally underserved communities. A Master’s programme in Applied Radiation Science and Technology (MARST) was introduced in partnership with the North-West University. Similar programmes with the Universities of the Western Cape and Zululand focused on developing skills in Accelerator and Nuclear Science (MANuS) and Material Science (MatSci). The NAC’s financial position became increasingly difficult in the late 1990s, and underinvestment in capital infrastructure and ageing equipment led to many failures. Nonetheless, globally competitive research remained at the core of operations, and the first publication (Newman et al., 1996) using the k600 magnetic spectrometer was published in 1996.
A panel of international experts conducted a review of the research activities at NAC. It was recommended that two research fields be pursued, namely, reaction mechanism studies based on the magnetic spectrometer and nuclear structure work, for which a new detector array was required (Cowley, 2013). A concerted effort to boost research and training output resulted in the development of the African Omni-purpose Detector for Innovative Techniques and Experiments (AFRODITE), inaugurated in 1998. The spectrometer housed eight high-purity germanium clover detectors and provided a globally competitive research facility at the forefront of nuclear structure research. Collaborations with international scientists using the gamma-spectroscopy facilities resulted in peer-reviewed research publications, with the first appearing in 2001 (Roux et al., 2001).
In 1999, the NAC was transferred to the newly formed NRF, which absorbed the FRD and its facilities. The NAC was renamed iThemba Laboratory for Accelerator-Based Science (LABS) in 2001, with iThemba referencing a place of hope. Professor Krish Bharuth-Ram was appointed as Interim Director in 2005. The laboratory’s baseline funding restoration enabled major technical upgrades and infrastructure modernisation, increasing beam intensity for isotope production and adding a vertical beam target station. The Schonland Research Centre (University of the Witwatersrand) was transferred to iThemba LABS in 2005. It was renamed iThemba LABS (Gauteng) in 2007 in a move to establish the first facility for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) on the African continent. Dr Zeblon Vilakazi became the fourth director of iThemba LABS in 2007 (Annual Report, 2007).
2005
- Interim Director: Professor Krish Bharuth-Ram became Interim Director.
- Infrastructure Modernisation: Beam intensity increased for isotope production.
2007
- Fourth Director Appointment: Dr Zeblon Vilakazi became the fourth director of iThemba LABS.
2008
- Launch of SA-CERN Programme: iThemba LABS became the institutional host of the SA-CERN programme, linking South Africa to CERN’s LHC.
2012
- 11-MeV Cyclotron Inauguration: A new cyclotron was launched in collaboration with NTP (Pty) Ltd to produce 18F for nuclear medicine.
2013
- Acting Director Appointment: Dr Kobus Lawrie became the Acting Director.
2014
- Opening of AMS Facility: Accelerator Mass Spectrometry facility was opened.
2015
- Van de Graaff Replacement Initiated: A 3-MV Tandetron accelerator was commissioned in Cape Town to replace the Van de Graaff accelerator.
- Agreement with NMISA: iThemba LABS was designated as a facility for medium- and high-energy neutron measurements.
In 2008, iThemba LABS became the Institutional host of the newly launched SA-CERN Programme with the Universities of Cape Town, Witwatersrand, KwaZulu-Natal, and Johannesburg as collaborators of the consortium. The programme provides South African research scientists, engineers, and students with access to the facilities at the European Centre for Nuclear Research’s (CERN) Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Geneva, Switzerland, and leverages opportunities to transfer skills related to new and emerging technologies. The initiative has increased South Africa’s visibility in high-energy physics and has contributed significantly to the growth of the physics community.
The facility was opened in partnership with the Metrological and Applied Sciences University Research Unit (MeASURe) at the University of Cape Town (Annual Report, 2009). In 2012, an 11-MeV cyclotron was inaugurated for the dedicated production of 18F in collaboration with NTP (Pty) Ltd, a subsidiary of the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (NECSA), enabling iThemba LABS to deliver 18F-FDG to the South African nuclear medicine community. Dr Kobus Lawrie stepped in as Acting Director at the end of 2013 (iThemba LABS Annual Report 2013-14).
In 2014, the AMS facility opened (Annual Report, 2015), and the replacement of the Van de Graaff accelerator, after fifty years of operation, was initiated in 2015. A 3-MV Tandetron accelerator was installed and commissioned in Cape Town in May 2017 for materials research. Dedicated facilities for ion beam analysis (IBA) techniques were established, as well as a line for nuclear astrophysics (PAC, 2023). A trilateral collaboration between the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the University of South Africa (UNISA), and iThemba LABS was consolidated in 2013 by establishing a Research Chair in Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies. The chair oversees the training and mentoring of early-career scientists and postgraduates in nanoscience, nanotechnology, and innovation (UNESCO - UNISA Africa Chair in nanoscience and nanotechnology).
Dr Faïçal Azaïez became the fifth director of iThemba LABS in 2016. New priorities in research and science development on the African continent, as well as education and training, led to iThemba LABS closing its particle therapy programme in 2017. This was the only accelerator complex on the African continent and in the southern hemisphere offering therapeutic beams of fast neutrons and protons. Throughout the operation, 1,834 patients were treated with neutrons and 524 patients with protons.
2016
- Fifth Director Appointment: Dr Faïçal Azaïez was appointed as the fifth director of iThemba LABS.
2017
- Particle Therapy Programme Closure: The programme, which treated over 1,800 patients with neutrons and over 500 with protons, was closed.
2018
- Establishment of SAINTS: The Southern African Institute for Nuclear Technology and Sciences (SAINTS) was founded to address skills shortages in accelerator-based science.
2021
- Designation as IAEA Collaborating Centre: iThemba LABS was recognized by the IAEA as a Collaborating Centre.
- Completion of GAMKA Project: The Gamma-ray Spectrometer for Knowledge in Africa (GAMKA) was completed.
iThemba LABS’ commitment to science on the African continent was strengthened through its designation as a Collaborating Centre of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2021. The Gamma-ray Spectrometer for Knowledge in Africa (GAMKA) project was completed in 2021 by installing the dandelion frame. The gamma-ray detector configurations available at iThemba LABS are ALBA, with a total of 21 large-volume LaBr detectors with high detection efficiency, AFRODITE-Plus with 19 Compton-suppressed Clover detectors and 17 BGO-detectors, and GAMKA, consisting of both HPGe-and LaBr detectors. The consortium includes NRF-iThemba LABS and the Universities of the Western Cape, Zululand, Stellenbosch and Witwatersrand. The combination of the GAMKA-array and the K600-spectrometer positions iThemba LABS as the only facility in the world with these detection capabilities.
An agreement between iThemba LABS and the National Metrology Institute of South Africa (NMISA) was signed in 2015, nominating iThemba LABS as a designated facility for medium—and high-energy neutron measurements (Annual Report, 2015). A series of upgrades resulted in the neutron facility meeting the requirements of a high-energy neutron metrology facility in 2020 (HnA, 2019-2021). iThemba LABS is the only bio-dosimetry laboratory in Africa capable of performing triage screening for large-scale radiation accidents.
Dr Victor Tshivhase was appointed as the sixth director of iThemba LABS in 2023. The facility continues its focus on research, training and expertise in fundamental and applied nuclear physics, particle physics, radiation biology, materials science, nanoscience and nanotechnology. Its nuclear medicine department supplies radiopharmaceuticals to more than eighty national public and private nuclear medicine departments and longer half-life radionuclide products to nearly one hundred international clients. A dedicated cyclotron for the production of radioisotopes was inaugurated in 2023 to increase production and free up beam time on the SSC for fundamental and applied research. It is envisaged that the availability of the SSC will enhance international collaboration and pave the way for exploratory research on exotic nuclei that can only be probed with radioactive beams, as well as the development of techniques needed for the production of alpha emitters for targeted alpha therapy (TAT), and theranostic isotopes that combine diagnostic biomarkers with therapeutic agents.
The newly established Technology Innovation Platform (TIP) at iThemba LABS has created opportunities for researchers and technicians to engage with industry, facilitate synergies, and explore commercialisation opportunities. TIP is envisaged to provide a test station for advanced detectors and electronics required by subatomic physics research, both locally and internationally.
The establishment of the Southern African Institute for Nuclear Technology and Sciences (SAINTS) in 2018 highlights the facility’s focus on research, training and specialised expertise in accelerator-based science (LRP, 2018). This includes subatomic physics, nuclear sciences, material sciences, radiation protection, radiochemistry, radiation biophysics, radiation detection, accelerator technology, data processing, artificial intelligence and machine learning. SAINTS was developed in response to a critical area shortage of skills and competencies. The SAINTS offers a platform for postgraduate student training and development and creates an enabling environment for staff members to develop professionally.
2023
- Sixth Director Appointment: Dr Victor Tshivhase was appointed as the sixth director of iThemba LABS.
- Inauguration of Dedicated Cyclotron: A new cyclotron for radioisotope production was inaugurated to free up beam time on the SSC for research.
- Launch of Technology Innovation Platform (TIP): TIP was established to foster collaboration with industry and promote commercialization opportunities in detector technology.
2024
2025
iThemba LABS has, since its inception in 1987, facilitated the sharing of resources, knowledge and expertise in accelerator-based science and technology. Its reputation as a global player through collaborations and research outputs (students and publications) has positioned it as a gateway to international research infrastructure. This is evident through the designation as the institutional host of the SA-CERN and SA-JINR programme, which facilitates access to research infrastructure at CERN and JINR. Researchers at NRF-iThemba LABS are at the forefront of development and innovation through their participation in local and international experimental physics programmes. New partnerships have been forged with African countries through joint projects related to environmental radioactivity linked to the mining sector. The pursuit of excellence and the commitment to transformation have assisted iThemba LABS in becoming the gathering place on the African Continent for research, innovation and collaboration on accelerator-based science.
