Mr Phila Sibandze completed his Bachelor of Science and an honours degree in Applied GIS and Remote Sensing at the University of Fort Hare. He then furthered his studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where he obtained his Master of Science Degree in research that investigated the spectral differentiation of cannabis when intercropped with maize. His work experience started in 2003 at Umvoto Africa as a GIS & Remote Sensing technician.
He then joined the Agricultural Research Council’s Institute of Soil Climate and Water (ARC-ISCW) as a researcher in the Geo-Informatics division, working on crop monitoring using satellite-based techniques and the cannabis detection project. While at ARC-ISCW, he received the CV Raman Scholarship for African Researchers from the Indian Space Agency (ISRO), where he spent three months at ISRO’s Bopal campus, advancing his knowledge of crop monitoring.
In 2012, Mr Sibandze took on a pivotal role as a remote sensing scientist at the South African National Space Agency (SANSA), focusing on disaster management with a particular focus on flood mapping and monitoring. His leadership extended beyond his workplace as he served as the Chair of the Working Group on Capacity Building and Data Democracy (WGCapD) hosted by the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), an international organization of Earth observation satellites. In this role, he coordinated various Synthetic Aperture RADAR (SAR) training programmes across Africa and advocated for equitable free access to satellite data and capacity building to bridge the technological divide between developing and developed nations. Mr Sibandze’s influence is also evident in his development of the first-ever Remote Sensing Atlas of South Africa, which showcased the application of remote sensing in different disciplines in South Africa.
In 2018, he joined the University of Fort Hare as a lecturer in the Department of GIS and Remote Sensing. He is also studying towards a PhD at the same institution, where his research investigates the impacts of climate change on the frequent floods in the coastal town of Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape. Mr Sibandze is also the co-chair of the Community of Practice on Natural Resources and Circular Economy.
