SANSA — the South African National Space Agency — operates its Space Science facility in Hermanus, tracing back to 1941, when the magnetic observatory relocated here from UCT to escape magnetic interference from Cape Town's expanding electric railway. With over 80 years of continuous magnetic monitoring, the magnetically clean facility houses a 2.4m tri-axial Helmholtz coil, a zero-field magnetic shielding chamber, a SQUID magnetometer and research-grade instruments, and offers aircraft compass calibration, magnetic sensor evaluation, and training courses alongside its geomagnetic data work.

Its 24/7 Space Weather Centre — the only one of its kind in Africa, launched in 2022 — monitors solar activity and provides real-time forecasts and alerts for events affecting power grids, satellites, navigation and aviation. Free public tours run every Wednesday at 11:00, including satellite replicas, GPS exhibits, the Space Weather Warning Centre, engineering labs and a "space photo booth" unique in South Africa.

Category	Government & Municipal
Town	Hermanus
Address	Hospital Street, Hermanus
Phone	028 312 1196
Email	spacesci-info@sansa.org.za
Website	https://www.sansa.org.za/products-and-services/space-science/