South Africa's Goverment Initiatives in Geodesy and the role of Astronomy

This presentation, delivered at the AfAS 2025 conference in South Africa, explores the fundamental connection between geodesy and astronomy through the lens of astrometry. Tracing the historical roots of celestial measurement from ancient observatories to modern VLBI and reference frames, it argues that geodesy is not merely a support service, but a core scientific discipline underpinning precision astronomy. The talk challenges disciplinary boundaries and makes the case for formally integrating geodesy into national and continental astronomy strategies, using South Africa’s updated Multi-Wavelength Astronomy Strategy (2025–2035) as context.