The Marion Island research base has been successfully handed over to the M83 team, following the coordinated efforts of the research team and personnel from the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) to reactivate the base.
A handover ceremony took place on 25 August 2026, celebrating the collaborative efforts of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), DPWI, Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), National Research Foundation (NRF), academics and M83 team.
The M83 team will now be able to continue their research activity on the island, while the DPWI, DSTI, NRF personnel will return to South Africa aboard the S.A. Agulhas II, which is due to leave the island on 31 August 2026 and is expected to arrive in Cape Town on 4 September 2026.
Reactivating the base has been an enormous undertaking, during which 494 tonnes of cargo and 300 tonnes (350m3) of polar diesel were transferred onto Marion Island.
The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, David Maynier, congratulated all stakeholders on the successful handover: “Reactivating the base following the evacuation of the previous team earlier this year has not been an easy task, and has been made possible by excellent cooperation and coordination by all roleplayers. We appreciate the work that our sister department is doing to maintain and repair base infrastructure, and the support being provided to the mission by all stakeholders.”
During their time at Marion Island, the DFFE, DSTI, NRF and DPWI undertook a comprehensive assessment of work to still be completed.
During its planned voyage to the SANAE IV base in Antarctica in December 2026, the S.A. Agulhas II will stop at Marion Island so that a dedicated team of DPWI engineers can complete more extensive maintenance work on the base as well as the 9 research huts to make the base more comfortable for the overwintering team.
The engineers will remain on the island until being picked up in February 2027, when the ship is due to return from Antarctica.
Minister Maynier highlighted the strategic importance of the work being done on the island: “Climate change in the Southern Ocean has a direct impact on South Africa’s economy and security, so it is vital that our base on Marion Island is fit-for-purpose and able to sustain high-quality research into climate conditions and biodiversity in this region.”
Enquiries:
Kerry Mauchline
Spokesperson to the Minister
Cell: 084 210 3003
E-mail: KMauchline@dffe.gov.za
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