Cape Town - The largest single optical telescope in the southern hemisphere has given tourism and infrastructure development in the town of Sutherland a welcome boost.
Built at a cost of R300m and running on an annual budget of R30m, the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) has led to a rise in tourist numbers as well as guest houses in the small Northern Cape town.
On a recent visit to Sutherland, Minister of Science and Technology Naledi Pandor said the telescope, built in 2005 and fully operational since 2011, has made an enormous contribution to the town's economy.
“More tourists are visiting the town to see the telescope and (whereas) before Sutherland only had 12 guest houses, it now has over 40 and they are hardly empty... We have brought science to this small town and it has also led to a lot of infrastructure development in the area," said Pandor.
She added that many local people are now working as tour guides taking people on tours of the telescope, while thousands of visitors come to look at the "most incredible stars".
Molapo Qhobela, the CEO of the National Research Foundation, drew attention to the telescope's contribution to science. SALT is funded by a consortium of international partners from South Africa, the United States, Germany, Poland, India, the United Kingdom and New Zealand.