South Africa's Nuclear Energy - Kelvin Kemm Final | Ep. 8 (2026)

South Africa's Nuclear Energy - Kelvin Kemm Final | Ep. 8 (2026)

From The IR thinker by Martin Zubko

April 14, 2026 · 1h 9m · Season 2026 · Episode 8

About this episode

The episode features Dr Kelvin Kemm discussing South Africa's nuclear energy history and advancements.

South Africa has been involved in nuclear development for more than 75 years. In 1948, the Atomic Energy Act established the Atomic Energy Board (AEB) — only two years after the United States created its own Atomic Energy Commission. South Africa's first nuclear research reactor, SAFARI-1, went critical in 1965, and the country's first large nuclear power station, Koeberg, came online in 1984. In February 2010, the South African government announced it would stop funding the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) programme. Over US$1.3 billion had been invested in the project since 1993, making its cancellation one of the most consequential decisions in South African energy history. But the technology did not disappear. A group of nuclear engineers and scientists pressed on independently, channelling the PBMR's intellectual legacy into a new design: the HTMR-100, an advanced Generation IV helium-cooled reactor. That effort eventually gave rise to Stratek Global, and it is an honour to speak with its Chairman and CEO, Dr Kelvin Kemm. Kelvin Kemm Dr Kelvin Kemm is a nuclear physicist and Chairman of Stratek Global, based in Pretoria, South Africa. He is the former Chairman of the South…

People in this episode

Host: Martin Zubko

Guest: Dr Kelvin Kemm

Topics covered

  • nuclear energy
  • South Africa
  • nuclear development
  • small modular reactors
  • energy history

Keywords

  • nuclear energy
  • South Africa
  • HTMR-100
  • Pebble Bed Modular Reactor
  • Stratek Global
  • Koeberg
  • nuclear physicist

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Stratek Global, South African Nuclear Energy Corporation

Places: South Africa

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