What Jobs are available for AI Researcher in South Africa?

Company Description

The Chirandu Group is a research-led enterprise advancing the science, provenance, and application of indigenous African knowledge. The Group unites research, formulation, and product innovation to develop verified systems of sensory and material intelligence that bridge culture and science. Through The Chirandu Institute and Chirandu Botanica, it conducts heritage documentation, sensory analysis, and formulation development to create credible, high-quality products rooted in African ecosystems.

We are looking for someone passionate about African indigenous and medicinal plants and how they can shape the future of clean, market-ready food, wellness, and personal care products.

In this part-time role, you will support our Lead Ethnobotanical Research Scientist with:

• Ethnobotanical mapping
• Profiling ingredients and bioactive compounds
• Structuring African Indigenous knowledge systems

If you are detail-oriented, research-driven, and excited to bring traditional wisdom into modern innovation, we would love to hear from you.

Role Purpose

The Ethnobotanical Research Scientist will support the research and developmental team by gathering, validating, and structuring African indigenous plant knowledge into standardized dossiers. These dossiers form the foundation of the company's knowledge archive, supporting downstream formulation, licensing, and product development. 

Key responsibilities

• Research & document interdisciplinary knowledge on botany, phytochemistry, traditional uses and ecological sustainability of African indigenous plants.
• Populate ingredient dossiers and bioactive profiles using standardized templates provided by Chirandu Botanica.
• Reporting and documentation of research that is publication-worthy & aligns with both scientific and cultural perspectives.
• Identify overlaps, contradictions, and research gaps when profiling and mapping the plants.
• Participate in peer review sessions with the Lead Ethnobotanical Research Scientist.
• Contribute insights & incorporate feedback to improve the quality of dossiers, formulations and commercialization priorities.
• Support field visits, interviews, or data collection when needed.
• Ensure compliance with heritage and attribution protocols.

Qualifications & Experience

• Master's in Botany, Ethnobotany, Pharmacognosy, Ethnopharmacology, Medicinal Plant Chemistry, Phytochemistry, Natural Products Chemistry, or related field
• • 2 years of research experience (experience must also be in industry, not just academic). and academic writing. (Publication is an added advantage)
• Experience with literature reviews and academic references.
• Familiarity with African indigenous knowledge systems
• Ability to work independently
• Familiarity with product development using indigenous medicinal plants will be an added advantage.

Email your CV and short motivational letter to

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you do not receive feedback within 2 weeks, consider your application unsuccessful.

We're looking for a dynamic AI Software Development Facilitator to join our team — someone who can guide, mentor, and inspire the next generation of developers in AI technologies and modern software practices.

Key Responsibilities

• Facilitate interactive sessions and workshops on AI concepts, programming, and software development.
• Provide hands-on guidance in Python, Machine Learning frameworks and software engineering best practices.
• Develop and update learning materials aligned with current industry trends.
• Evaluate student progress and provide constructive feedback.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field
• 5 plus years of experience in facilitating in AI, data science, or software development.
• Excellent facilitation, communication, and mentoring skills.
• Passionate about teaching and continuous learning.
• Exposure to generative AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, etc.).

Apply now

Send your updated CV to - with the subject line "AI Software Development Facilitator Application."

Job Type: Temporary

Work Location: In person

We're looking for a dynamic
AI Software Development Facilitator
to join our team — someone who can guide, mentor, and inspire the next generation of developers in AI technologies and modern software practices.

Key Responsibilities

• Facilitate interactive sessions and workshops on AI concepts, programming, and software development.
• Provide hands-on guidance in Python, Machine Learning frameworks and software engineering best practices.
• Develop and update learning materials aligned with current industry trends.
• Evaluate student progress and provide constructive feedback.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field
• 5 plus years of experience in facilitating in AI, data science, or software development.
• Excellent facilitation, communication, and mentoring skills.
• Passionate about teaching and continuous learning.
• Exposure to generative AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, etc.).

Apply now

Send your updated CV to - with the subject line
"AI Software Development Facilitator Application."

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is a leading scientific and technology research organisation that research, develops, localises and diffuses technologies to accelerate socio-economic prosperity in South Africa. The organisation's work contributes to industrial development and supports a capable state. The CSIR has a vacancy for a Research Scientist: Machine Learning and Statistical Modelling for Ocean-Climate Science in the

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is a leading scientific and technology research organisation that researches, develops, localises and diffuses technologies to accelerate socio-economic prosperity in South Africa. The organisations work contributes to industrial development and supports a capable state.

Research Scientist: Machine Learning and Statistical Modelling for Ocean-Climate Science
About The Job
The Southern Ocean CarbonClimate Observatory (SOCCO) at the CSIR has a vacancy for
Researc
h
Scientist
in large-scale ocean carbon cycle processes that can apply machine learning, artificial intelligence, and statistical modelling to advancing understanding of global CO? fluxes and their direct policy relevance, positioning the researcher at the forefront of international climate science. By linking Southern Ocean research to global carbon cycle assessments, the successful candidate will work within a dynamic, world-leading team and help shape future strategies for carbon monitoring and management. This position is based in Cape Town.

Key Rsponsibilities

• Lead the development, refinement, and application of machine learning frameworks to improve surface ocean CO? flux estimates, building on SOCCOs flagship ML-based CO? flux product (CSIR-ML6).
• Lead RD and innovation in the development of emerging AI technologies and techniques and application in the field of ocean-climate research
• Evaluate the performance of Earth System Models (CMIP6/7) against the ML-based observational CO? flux product, focusing on:mean-state climatologies,spatial, temporal, and seasonal variability, andlong-term trends.
• Diagnose discrepancies between ocean-climate models and reconstruction products using Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) and advanced statistical approaches.
• Conduct high-resolution OSSEs to optimize Southern Ocean CO? observing strategies and reduce uncertainty in sink estimates.
• Supervise, train, and mentor postgraduate researchers, contributing to the growth of capacity in AI-driven climate science and advancing its integration into ocean-climate modelling
• Actively contribute to international science-policy processes such as the Global Carbon Budget and State of the Climate reports.
• Contribute actively to the development of competitive research proposals to secure external funding for long term sustainability of research activities.

Qualifications, Skills And Experience

• A Doctoral degree in Earth System Science, Oceanography, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, Data Science, or a related field; with atleast five years proven expertise in machine learning, AI, and high-performance scientific computing;
• At least five years experience applying supervised and unsupervised machine learning methods (e.g., neural networks, gradient boosting, clustering) to environmental or geophysical datasets, including development of approaches to improve predictive skill and model performance;
• Demonstrated ability to work with large, sparse, and heterogeneous datasets, including gap-filling, noise reduction, spatiotemporal post-processing, and integration of observational and model outputs;
• Ability to translate machine learning outputs into climate and environmental science applications;
• Demonstrated track record of international collaboration and publications in leading peer-reviewed journals;
• Excellent communication skills, including capacity-building and postgraduate supervision.

Whats in it for you?
The CSIR Offers

• Flexible hybrid work arrangement;
• Learning and development opportunities.
• Competitive and market-related remuneration packages.
• Total guaranteed salary packages which encompass contributions to the pension fund, risk insurance and medical scheme.
• We openly acknowledge and reward our employees' contributions and accomplishments through our esteemed CSIR Excellence Awards.

PLEASE NOTE THAT FEEDBACK WILL BE GIVEN TO SHORTLISTED CANDIDATES ONLY.
For more info, please email us at Please
do-not
send your applications to this mailbox, it is only for enquiries.

The CSIR is an equal opportunity employer. As such, it is committed to the employment Equity Act and will through the filling of this vacancy, give preference to candidates from designated groups in terms of the Employment Equity Act. By applying for this position at the CSIR, the applicant understands, and agrees that the CSIR may solicit a credit and criminal report from registered credit bureau and/or South African Police Services (in relation to positions that requires trust and honesty and/or entail the handling of cash or finances), and may also verify the applicants educational qualification and employment history.
The CSIR reserves the right to remove the advertisement at any time before the stated closing date and it further reserves the right not to appoint if a suitable candidate is not identified. **

Chirandu Botanica is growing its research team We are looking for someone passionate about African indigenous and medicinal plants and how they can shape the future of clean, market-ready food, wellness, and personal care products.

In this part-time role, you will support our Lead Ethnobotanical Research Scientist with:

• Ethnobotanical mapping
• Profiling ingredients and bioactive compounds
• Structuring African Indigenous knowledge systems

If you are detail-oriented, research-driven, and excited to bring traditional wisdom into modern innovation, we would love to hear from you.

Role Purpose

The Ethnobotanical Research Scientist will support the research and developmental team by gathering, validating, and structuring African indigenous plant knowledge into standardized dossiers. These dossiers form the foundation of the company's knowledge archive, supporting downstream formulation, licensing, and product development.

Key responsibilities

• Research & document interdisciplinary knowledge on botany, phytochemistry, traditional uses and ecological sustainability of African indigenous plants.
• Populate ingredient dossiers and bioactive profiles using standardized templates provided by Chirandu Botanica.
• Reporting and documentation of research that is publication-worthy & aligns with both scientific and cultural perspectives.
• Identify overlaps, contradictions, and research gaps when profiling and mapping the plants.
• Participate in peer review sessions with the Lead Ethnobotanical Research Scientist.
• Contribute insights & incorporate feedback to improve the quality of dossiers, formulations and commercialization priorities.
• Support field visits, interviews, or data collection when needed.
• Ensure compliance with heritage and attribution protocols.

Qualifications & Experience

• Master's in Botany, Ethnobotany, Pharmacognosy, Ethnopharmacology, Medicinal Plant Chemistry, Phytochemistry, Natural Products Chemistry, or related field
• • 2 years of research experience (experience must also be in industry, not just academic). and academic writing. (Publication is an added advantage)
• Experience with literature reviews and academic references.
• Familiarity with African indigenous knowledge systems
• Ability to work independently
• Familiarity with product development using indigenous medicinal plants will be an added advantage.

Email your CV and short motivational letter to

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you do not receive feedback within 2 weeks, consider your application unsuccessful.

Job Types: Part-time, Internship

Contract length: 6 months

Pay: R6 500,00 - R8 000,00 per month

Expected hours: 20 – 30 per week

Education:

• Masters (Preferred)

Experience:

• research and/or academic writing: 2 years (Preferred)

Work Location: In person

Role: AI-Powered Product Development & Creative Operations Coordinator

Location: 100% Remote

Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm PST

About the client

A vibrant lifestyle brand known for its bold, nostalgic aesthetic and playful character-led designs. The company offers a wide array of accessories, tech gear, beauty items, and collaborative product lines with other creative brands.

Its offerings often feature signature whimsical characters, holographic finishes, and a strong pop-culture vibe. The brand maintains a high level of community engagement and frequently launches limited-edition drops and themed collections, appealing both to long-time fans and new generations who love creative, expressive style.

About the role

We are seeking a visionary, tech-savvy, and highly organized individual to join our team as an AI-Powered Product Development & Creative Operations Coordinator. This unique role is central to revolutionizing our product development lifecycle by integrating artificial intelligence into our creative processes. The ideal candidate will leverage AI as a core partner to accelerate creative exploration, refine design concepts with data-driven insights, and optimize our entire creative operations workflow.

This role requires a blend of creative thinking and meticulous organization, with a passion for utilizing AI tools to generate concepts, streamline timelines, and unlock new possibilities in product design.

1. AI-Driven Creative Development & Design Exploration

• AI Concept Generation: Operate AI concept generation tools (e.g., Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, DALL-E 3) to rapidly produce diverse product designs, themes, and visual concepts.
• Prompt Engineering & AI Concept Artistry: Utilize prompt engineering to guide AI in creating targeted, brand-aligned design variations, effectively acting as an "AI Concept Artist" to visualize new ideas.
• Data-Driven Design Selection: Employ AI analysis tools to refine design options based on predefined criteria, historical performance data, and market trends.
• Innovation Facilitation: Present AI-generated concepts to creative and product teams during brainstorming sessions, using them as catalysts for innovation and iteration.
• Asset Management: Build and maintain a comprehensive library of AI-generated assets, prompts, and styles to support continuous creative development.

2. Creative Operations & Project Management

• Central Project Hub: Serve as the central point of contact for all creative project timelines, from initial concept through to final delivery.
• Workflow Management: Implement and manage project management software (e.g., Asana, Jira, Trello) to meticulously track tasks, deadlines, and deliverables for the product development and design teams.
• Efficiency Enhancement: Proactively identify bottlenecks in the creative workflow and propose AI-powered or process-based solutions to enhance efficiency.
• Cross-Functional Coordination: Coordinate and communicate effectively across departments—including design, marketing, engineering, and external vendors—to ensure seamless project execution and alignment.
• Request Prioritization: Manage the intake of new creative requests and prioritize them based on strategic goals and available resources.

3. AI-Powered Process Optimization

• Tool Integration: Research and integrate new AI tools that assist with mood board creation, trend forecasting, and competitive analysis.
• Task Automation: Explore and implement AI solutions for automating repetitive tasks within the creative workflow (e.g., file organization, basic resizing, version control).
• Performance Tracking: Track and report on key performance indicators for the creative process, such as concept-to-final time, number of iterations, and project throughput, leveraging data to drive continuous improvements.

Qualifications and Experience

• Experience: 2+ years in a creative operations, project coordination, or junior product design role.
• AI Portfolio: A strong portfolio or case studies demonstrating hands-on experience with AI image generation tools (Midjourney, DALL-E, etc.) for conceptual design work.
• Organizational Skills: Exceptional organizational and project management skills, with proficiency in tools like Asana, Jira, or Trello.
• Communication: Excellent communication and collaboration skills to effectively bridge the gap between creative vision and operational execution.
• Creative Eye: A keen creative eye with the ability to articulate feedback and guide AI output toward a desired aesthetic.

Preferred:

• Educational Background: Background or education in Design, Fine Arts, Project Management, or a related field.
• Product Development Knowledge: Understanding of fundamental product development lifecycle stages.
• Prompt Engineering Expertise: Experience with prompt engineering techniques to achieve specific and consistent AI-generated results.
• Data Analysis: Basic knowledge of data analysis to interpret trends and inform design decisions.
• Additional AI Tools: Familiarity with other AI tools for video, 3D modeling, or copywriting is a plus.

Personal Attributes

• Innovative & Curious: A relentless experimenter excited by the potential of AI to transform creativity.
• Efficiency-Obsessed: Naturally seeks out ways to automate and improve processes.
• Bridge Builder: Thrives on connecting people, ideas, and technology.
• Adaptable & Agile: Comfortable in a fast-paced environment where tools and best practices evolve rapidly.
• Detail-Oriented: Meticulous in managing timelines, assets, and communication.

A specialised AI consulting firm is seeking a Machine Learning Engineer to join our team. This role offers the opportunity to work on high-impact AI initiatives within the banking sector , where you will play a key part in designing, deploying, and scaling advanced machine learning solutions. You’ll collaborate with data scientists, engineers, and business stakeholders to deliver end-to-end AI systems that enhance decision-making, improve customer experiences, and optimise critical processes. Beyond building models, you’ll be responsible for ensuring their performance, reliability, and scalability in production—using modern cloud platforms and MLOps practices.

Responsibilities:

• Design, build, and optimise machine learning models for banking applications.
• Implement scalable ML pipelines and integrate them into production environments.
• Collaborate with data scientists, data engineers, and business stakeholders to deliver end-to-end AI solutions.
• Deploy, monitor, and maintain ML models in AWS environments .
• Ensure model reliability, reproducibility, and performance throughout the lifecycle.
• Document methodologies, workflows, and best practices.

Qualifications and experience:

• 3–5 years of experience in machine learning, data science, or related field.
• Strong proficiency in Python and ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn).
• Experience with large datasets and SQL/NoSQL databases .
• Essential: Hands-on experience with AWS cloud services (SageMaker, S3, Lambda, EC2, Glue, Redshift).
• Familiarity with MLOps practices and CI/CD for ML pipelines.
• Strong problem-solving ability with a track record of translating business needs into technical solutions.
• Experience in banking or financial services is advantageous, but not required.
• Proven experience taking AI models into production at scale .
• Exposure to containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Familiarity with ML model monitoring and observability tools.

The reference number for this position is NG60802 which is a contract position in Johannesburg/Cape Town offering a contract rate of R550 to R750 per hour, salary negotiable based on experience. e-mail Nokuthula on or call her for a chat on to discuss this and other opportunities.

Are you ready for a change of scenery? E-Merge IT recruitment is a niche recruitment agency. We offer our candidates options so that we can successfully place the right people with the right companies, in the right roles. Check out the E-Merge IT website for more great positions.

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Part-time, remote, mostly equity compensation, to be founder of an AI productivity startup.

Are you a results-driven business development professional with a passion for connecting with small to medium-sized digital companies? Do you thrive on introducing innovative solutions that enhance productivity?

We are a productivity company offering AI-based project management SaaS and coaching/consulting on Agile methodologies and Getting Things Done (GTD) practices. Our work helps both individuals and organizations become more focused, effective, and aligned. We are now looking for a
Business Development & Cofounder (SaaS Focus)
to help us expand our reach and grow our client base.

Your Mission as Business Development & Cofounder
You'll be a key driver in our growth, directly engaging with potential clients and shaping our market presence. Key tasks include:

• Identifying and contacting small to medium-sized companies that primarily work digitally.
• Introducing them to our AI-based project management SaaS and/or our productivity and Agile coaching services.
• Building relationships and securing trials/engagements for our products and services.
• Contributing to overall business strategy and market positioning.
• Being co-director of our non-profit.

Ideal Skills & Background

• Proven experience in business development, sales, or client acquisition, preferably in SaaS or a related digital service industry.
• Strong communication skills.
• Self-motivated with a strong ability to work independently and remotely.
• Bonus if you have a foundational understanding of Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) or productivity systems (GTD).

Our Cooperative Structure
We operate as a cooperative, not a traditional startup. That means we are a team of cofounders who share ownership and company-wide revenue based on contribution.

• You will earn equity in the company, like all other cofounders.
• You will also receive a direct revenue share from the clients you personally acquire.
• Time commitment is flexible, with part-time contributions welcomed.
• As the company grows, cash payouts will increase proportionally.

About Us
We are a productivity startup focused on helping individuals and organizations implement Agile planning, GTD, and smart execution systems. Our mission is to bring clarity, momentum, and accountability to people's work. We are about to launch an AI-first project management system.

Time Commitment & Compensation

• Start with as little as 2 hours per week.
• Compensation includes equity and revenue share.
• Initial cash payouts are limited to 10%, with the rest in equity and revenue share.
• Important Note:
  As long as we are not making significant revenue or have not secured external investment, there will be no or very little cash payment. This is an opportunity to build a startup. However, in term of equity you are getting the same deal as e ery other cofounder. So you really can become a major owner of the company, in case you are willing to contribute your work.

Company Ownership
Our structure allows contributors to build up real ownership in the company. We are evolving toward a DAO-like model where decision-making and profit-sharing are distributed fairly and transparently.

Our Global Team
You'll work alongside an experienced, international team from Germany, USA, Kenya, India, and Canada. We value autonomy, clear communication, and shared responsibility.

To Apply as Business Development & Cofounder (SaaS Focus)
Apply if this sounds like you:

• You're comfortable reaching out to small and medium-sized digital companies.
• You're comfortable working remotely and part-time.