Dr. Siyabulela Hamnca has a strong background in chemistry (physical and analytical chemistry). He completed his PhD in Chemistry at the University of the Western Cape specialising in electrochemistry (electrodynamics and electrochemical sensor development).

He joined in 2020 Southern Ocean Carbon & Climate Observatory (SOCCO) to run the oceanic carbon dioxide (CO2) chemistry laboratory. His work focuses on oceanic CO2 observations (DIC, AT, pH and pCO2) in the Southern Ocean region.