South African Radio Astronomy Observatory
Pieter Pretorius is a seasoned software developer with extensive experience in the field of electronics and software engineering. Currently serving as a Senior Software Developer at SKA SA since November 2014, Pieter previously held positions as a Software Engineer at Professional Solutions in Electronics, Saab Avitronics, and CSIR over the span of several decades. Pieter earned a BEng in Electronic Engineering from the University of Stellenbosch, further solidifying a strong educational foundation in electrical and electronics engineering.
South African Radio Astronomy Observatory
The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO), a facility of the National Research Foundation, is responsible for managing all radio astronomy initiatives and facilities in South Africa, including the MeerKAT Radio Telescope in the Karoo, and the Geodesy and VLBI activities at the HartRAO facility. SARAO also coordinates the African Very Long Baseline Interferometry Network (AVN) for the eight SKA partner countries in Africa, as well as South Africa’s contribution to the infrastructure and engineering planning for the Square Kilometre Array Radio Telescope. To maximise the return on South Africa’s investment in radio astronomy, SARAO is managing programmes to create capacity in radio astronomy science and engineering research, and the technical capacity required to support site operations.