On behalf of the SASA Executive, I am pleased to welcome you to the August 2026 issue of

the SASA Newsletter. The year seems to be moving faster than ever, and it is hard to believe

that spring is already knocking on our doors. SASA continues to achieve remarkable

milestones in 2026, particularly through our growing partnerships, and we are proud to

celebrate the continued growth and strong support of our membership.

As stated in the previous Newsletter Issue, the SASA2026 conference will be hosted by

University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg, at the Birchwood Hotel and OR

Tambo Conference Centre, conveniently located near OR Tambo International Airport. The

conference will take place during the week of 23–27 November 2026 and will include two

days of engaging and thought-provoking workshops at the start of the programme that are

facilitated by distinguished invited speakers from both national and international institutions.

Please diarise the event and register for the conference now, if you have not already done

so. Also, be sure to submit your abstract by no later than the 31 st of August deadline.

SASA2026 promises to be yet another engaging and memorable event, and I look forward to

welcoming you all to Johannesburg.

I am pleased to announce that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between SASA and

Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) was signed on 11 June 2026 at the Stats SA

Headquarters, ISIbalo House, in Pretoria. The MoU provides a structured basis for

collaboration between the two organisations to advance the discipline and application of

statistics in South Africa. The signing of the MoU marks a significant milestone for both

SASA and Stats SA. As you may be aware, the negotiation process has taken almost two

years, making this achievement particularly noteworthy. More details, including relevant

links, are provided in the sections that follow in this newsletter. I strongly encourage SASA

members to take advantage of the opportunities presented by this MoU and to actively

engage in initiatives that will help translate the agreement into meaningful and impactful

activities.

Guided by a clear vision, strong sense of purpose, and steadfast commitment to excellence,

SASA continues to strengthen its partnerships and collaborative networks. The SASA EC

remains actively engaged with the Institute for Mathematical Sciences and Applications

(IMSA) and other sister associations, including South African Mathematical Society (SAMS),

Southern Africa Mathematical Sciences Association (SAMSA), and Mathematical Sciences

Strategic Alliance (MSSA), among others. These partnerships play an important role in

advancing the mathematical and statistical sciences and strengthening collaboration within

the broader scientific community.

The new SASA Constitution, which was presented at the SASA AGM last year, is nearing

completion and will soon be ready for implementation. Our Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

remain actively engaged in hosting seminars and attracting new members who share

common academic and professional interests. The SASA EC encourages members to join

existing SIGs or propose new ones to contribute to the advancement of the discipline.

As your President, I also encourage you to support the South African Statistical Journal

(SASJ) by submitting manuscripts for consideration for publication, as well as papers for

inclusion in conference proceedings following our annual conferences. Your contributions

are essential to strengthening SASA’s scholarly activities and promoting the visibility and

impact of our discipline.

Wishing you all the very best for the remainder of 2026!

I look forward to welcoming you all to the SASA Conference in November.

Daniel