South Africa's SAFARI: From nuclear weapons to nuclear medicine
van Wyk, Jo-Ansie
Since the verifi cation of the termination of
its nuclear weapons programme and the
dismantling of its nuclear devices and facilities,
South Africa has succeeded in converting its
defensive nuclear posture to the employment
of nuclear energy for peaceful uses, such as
power generation and nuclear medicine. In
respect of the latter, South Africa has skilfully
crafted a global niche for itself. Building
on its nuclear expertise, South Africa has
become one of the world’s leading producers
of medical isotopes – an under-researched
area in South Africa’s nuclear and economic
diplomacy – which are used in a variety of
medical diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
Moreover, South Africa has succeeded in
producing these isotopes from low-enriched,
rather than highly enriched uranium; adding
further credence to its nuclear non-proliferation
commitments. By converting its nuclear reactor,
SAFARI-1, to produce and supply medical
isotopes, South Africa has gained numerous
material and non-material gains, ranging
from foreign exchange to status and prestige.
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