On 5 March 2026, on the sidelines of the Africa Energy Indaba in Cape Town, State Atomic Energy Corporation of Russia, Rosatom, and the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation, Necsa, signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the area of workforce development.
Signing of the MoU – this will see Rosatom and Necsa cooperate on human capital development through training and knowledge exchange.
The memorandum establishes a long-term framework for cooperation in skills development and knowledge exchange in the nuclear and related technology sectors. Emphasis is placed on training young professionals and strengthening local and regional technical capacity across Africa. Priority areas include joint education and training initiatives, programmes for women and young professionals, short-term employee internships, engineering skills development, and professional competitions as well as collaborative research projects.
The partnership also aims to strengthen international labour market and training projects, as well as the joint organisation of conferences, seminars and other professional platforms for dialogue and knowledge exchange. Through this cooperation, Rosatom and Necsa seek to contribute to the development of a workforce that is globally competitive and future-ready in the nuclear and advanced technology sectors.
“Nuclear power is, first and foremost, about people, their knowledge, experience, and responsibility. Our strategic partnership with Necsa in the field of human capital development is based on shared values: a human-centric approach, commitment to the highest safety standards, innovation, and continuous professional growth. Through our joint training initiatives, we will exchange knowledge that will enable Russian and South African professionals to work together to build a future that technologically meets the challenges of the 21st century. Within this year, Rosatom will provide an additional 15 bursaries for students and young professionals from South Africa to study at Rosatom flagship universities, which already host more than 2 400 international students from 65 countries” said Rosatom Deputy Director General for Human Resources, Tatiana Terentyeva.
Necsa Group Executive for Human Capital, Sithembile Mbuyisa commented further: “This partnership is focused on building sustainable human capital to support the growth of the nuclear and related technology sectors. Developing skills, empowering young professionals, and expanding leadership capacity are central to the long-term success of the energy sector. Through collaboration on education, training and knowledge exchange, we aim to contribute to a globally competitive and future-ready nuclear workforce,” she said.
For more information visit: www.necsa.co.za
