SARAO stalwart retires after more than two decades of dedicated service

SARAO recently bid farewell to a stalwart when Dawie Fourie, Karoo Site Manager, retired at the end of February 2026.

For more than two decades, Oom Dawie, as he is affectionately known, has been part of the fabric and a dedicated member of the NRF family. His colourful and successful path at the organisation started when he joined the SAAO in 2004, after being appointed as the Engineering and Logistics Planner.

Once there, he eagerly endeavoured to help bring SALT, situated in Sutherland, online. During his tenure at SAAO, Fourie was tasked with taking over the Site Manager role after the then Site Manager at SALT fell ill.

Through his relentless dedication, Fourie became a pillar of the organisation. He transformed the facility in Sutherland into one which the NRF is proud of. He spearheaded the refurbishment of the accommodation facilities, transformed the current staff quarters at SALT, and oversaw the construction of new staff accommodation, all while still working to bring SALT online to play its role as the largest optical telescope in the Southern Hemisphere.

He recalls how Patrick Thompson, the then Group Executive for Human Resources at the NRF, asked him, “Dawie, what do you want to achieve here? And I told him that I want to make people smile,” Fourie added from his home in Strand, Cape Town, which he moved to after retirement.

Through his dedication, Fourie brought change by creating indoor facilities for staff for recreation and sporting purposes.

In June 2008, Fourie was approached by members of then SKA Africa to become the site manager of the facility, which we today know as the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory.

“To make the transition easier, I was recruited by Prof. Roy Booth from HartRAO and seconded to SARAO as a full-time site manager,” says Fourie.

When he arrived at the Karoo site, Fourie remembers that to him there seemed to be nothing workable, for what was eventually going to be home to MeerKAT and the future SKA-Mid.

“We partnered with the Northern Cape Provincial Government, beginning with the upgrades of the homes at Klerefontein, as well as to the offices which were to be located at the old Klerefontein farmhouse,” Fourie recalls.

He noted that on the Losberg site itself, there were pegs planted for where the original shed as well as the Losberg accommodation, were to be built. He remembers where the stake was planted for the now KAT-7 telescope.

“I recall how we worked around the clock, day in and day out, to try and ensure that the infrastructure was laid. My days often ended at 11 pm or midnight, because we needed to get things into place,” Fourie fondly remembers.

Over the next few years, Fourie saw the building of history, so to speak: he was there for the installation of the site infrastructure, the building of KAT-7, the MeerKAT radio telescope, as well as the laying of the electricity and fibre infrastructure.

“When I arrived in Carnarvon, I started looking for people who would be able to assist me in my daily duties. One of the first people I employed was Gerrit Coreejes. Even though he did not have the necessary qualifications, he could do the job. I assisted him, along with Daphne Lekgwathi, to obtain his qualification and red seal as an electrician. Thereafter I employed (the late) Jasper Grobbelaar, who first started as a contractor, and later on, Neels Hoek was also employed to assist me,” he added.

An emotional Fourie recalls how he lifted the first KAT-7 pedestal with a crane, and how the dish was moulded on site, in the shed. “I was there for all the milestones,” he says proudly.

Now, as Fourie says goodbye to his legacy and the foundations that he helped to lay for KAT-7, MeerKAT and eventually the SKA, he is proud of what he has achieved. “It’s obvious that what was achieved in Carnarvon was through dedication, commitment and teamwork. I was backed by an amazing group of people who worked tirelessly on one goal, and that is to achieve the building of the biggest radio astronomy observatory”.

His wife, Amanda, will soon follow in his footsteps and retire in April 2026. Amanda, in the same way as her husband, played a huge role in ensuring that the accommodation on site was meticulously managed, stocked and ready to accept guests, regardless of the little time that she was given.

As a final word, Fourie has expressed his wish that the tireless dedication and commitment will continue on the site, and that the eventual completion of the project will be realised.

As SARAO wishes Fourie a peaceful and joyous retirement, he reiterates that his retirement will be filled with finding meaningful things to do, because as he states, “I still have lots to give”.

Go well, Oom Dawie!