# The Status of Space Weather Infrastructure and Research in Africa
## 2 Distribution of Space Weather Infrastructure in Africa
### Space Weather Monitoring
#### 2.1.1 Global Navigation Satellite Systems Receivers
The African Geodetic Reference Frame (AFREF) was conceived as a unified geodetic reference frame for Africa and as the fundamental basis for national and regional three-dimensional reference networks that are entirely consistent and homogeneous with the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF). Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) or GNSS base stations were established to achieve this. The AFREF opera  
Figure 4: Locations of magnetometers of various networks in Africa. The purple line shows the location of the geomagnetic equator. tional data center collects data daily. The data from all the stations of the IGS and GAGE networks are freely available on this website [22]. (e) The TRIGNET Network  
The geodetic GNSS reference receivers of the TRIGNET network in South Africa are deployed and maintained by the South African Chief Directorate: National Geospatial Information (CD:NGI). This network of more than 60 GNSS receivers has provided South Africa with better GNSS infrastructure than the rest of the African countries. Data from the TRIGNET network is available via the web link of the Chief Directorate: National Geospatial Information (CD:NGI) [23]. SANSA (South African National Space Agency) recently deployed multi-constellation geodetic GNSS receivers for real-time ionospheric monitoring in South Africa (SUTG, 32.37\({}^{\circ}\) S, 20.81\({}^{\circ}\) E), in Southern Botswana (PALP, 22.60\({}^{\circ}\) S, 27.13\({}^{\circ}\) E; and LETL, 21.42\({}^{\circ}\) S, 25.57\({}^{\circ}\) E), in Zimbabwe (HARG, 17.78\({}^{\circ}\) S, 31.05\({}^{\circ}\) E), in Namibia (KMHG, 26.53\({}^{\circ}\) S, 18.1\({}^{\circ}\) E) and in Lagos, Nigeria (TSUG, 19.20\({}^{\circ}\) S,17.58\({}^{\circ}\) E). (f) African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis (AMMA) GPS Network [24]  
The AMMA GNSS receivers were installed in Djouogu (Benin), Niamey (Niger), Gao (Mali), Tamale (Ghana), Ouagadougou (Burkina-Faso), and Tombouctou (Mali) during the period 2006-2009. Although the data can be used across disciplines, these GNSS stations were established for meteorological applications, but the data can also be used for space weather studies and can be downloaded from the AFREF website. (g) The CNES/SAGAIE network  
CNES (France) began the implementation of the SAGAIE (Stations ASECNA GNSS pour I'Analyse de la Ionosphere Equatoriale) network in 2013 for the real-time correction of an extension of SBAS/EGNOS to Africa. The current network includes nine stations (Table 3), all installed at major airports, often with one geodesy receiver and one scintillator receiver at each station. Operational monitoring is carried out by ASECNA (**Agence pour la Securite de la Navigation aerienne en Afrique et a Madagascar**). Unfortunately, these data are not yet freely accessible [25]. (h) The SONEL network  
SONEL (Systeme d'observation du Niveau des eaux Littorales) produces accurate sea level measurements from tide gauges and geodetic receivers. There are more than 1000 GNSS stations near the coasts around the world, but only a few dozen around the African continent. The measurements are available on their website [26]. (i) CORS and Private Networks  
There are many CORS networks in several African countries. Unfortunately, their advertising is limited, so it is very difficult to establish a list of operational stations in each. Those responsible do not offer web links, and the measurements taken are unfortunately inaccessible. Two exceptions can be cited: \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline
**Marker** & **Country** & **Latitude** & **Longitude** \\ \hline ABI1 & Ivory Coast & 5.32 & \(-\)4.03 \\ CTO1 & Benin & 6.37 & 2.39 \\ DAK2 & Senegal & 14.76 & \(-\)17.38 \\ NIA1 & Togo & 9.74 & 1.12 \\ LOM2 & Togo & 6.14 & 1.24 \\ NDJA & Chad & 12.12 & 15.06 \\ OUAG & Burkina Faso & 12.36 & \(-\)1.53 \\ DOUA & Cameroon & 4.05 & 9.71 \\ BAM1 & Mali & 12.65 & \(-\)8.00 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 3: CNES/SAGAIE stations operating in 2023.