Citation Rankings
Highly Cited Researchers
South Africa Highly Cited Researchers CitationNatural Sciences / Physics in South Africa Rankings 2025
The Citation Rankings (Highly Cited Researchers) highlight the most cited and influential researchers across a vast range of scientific fields, covering 197 main and sub-disciplines, including the Art and Humanities Citation Rankings and Social Sciences and Humanities Citation Rankings. This service, offered exclusively by AD Scientific Index, aims to provide a balanced perspective by excluding data from CERN and other statistical sources that disproportionately favor certain researchers, particularly in the social sciences and humanities. This unique approach addresses the advantages researchers with multi-author publications and CERN involvement hold over others. Furthermore, citation rankings help uncover rule violations and unethical practices within the research community. For more detailed citation analyses, explore the Scientists Last 6 Years Citation Index, Universities Total Citations Rankings 2025, and Universities Last 6 Years Citations Rankings 2025.
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :1
High Energy Particle Physics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
289,752
129,340
0.446
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :2
HEP
LHC
ATLAS
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
136,805
94,907
0.694
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :3
Particle Physics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
131,770
59,787
0.454
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :4
Physics
Thermal Models
particle Physics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
83,281
40,928
0.491
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :5
Nuclear Physics
Particle Physics
Diamond Physics
Quantum Physics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
78,375
40,583
0.518
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :6
Condensed Matter
Density Functional Theory
Electronic Structure
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
77,960
41,312
0.530
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :7
High Energy physics
Grid Computing
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
74,156
40,192
0.542
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :8
Astrophysics
Cosmology
Astro-Particle Physics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
62,755
30,146
0.480
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :9
High Energy Physics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
52,226
49,911
0.956
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :10
gamma-ray astronomy
Cosmic Rays
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
46,471
17,829
0.384
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :11
Astroparticle Physics
High Energy Astrophysics
Gamma-ray Astronomy
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
44,980
21,159
0.470
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :12
Astrophysics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
34,526
20,757
0.601
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :13
Astrophysics
Observational Optical/Infrared/Radio Galaxy Evolution
Cloud Computing
Machine Learning
Statistics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
32,503
15,434
0.475
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :14
Open quantum systems
quantum information processing and communication
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
29,561
17,968
0.608
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :15
Physics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
28,787
10,348
0.359
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :16
particle physics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
25,965
9,461
0.364
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :17
nanophosphors
luminescence
cathodoluminescence
surface characterization
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
25,903
17,538
0.677
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :18
Particle Physics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
18,923
18,229
0.963
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :19
Astrophysics and Astro-particle Physics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
16,332
10,171
0.623
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :20
Physics
Astrophysics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
14,371
9,354
0.651
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :21
physics
astronomy
extragalactic astrophysics
galaxy evolution
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
14,110
4,722
0.335
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :22
Galaxy formation and evolution
astronomy
astrophysics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
12,618
7,338
0.582
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :23
Low Noise Amplifiers
Gamma-ray astrophysics
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
11,520
8,019
0.696
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :24
General relativity
Relativistic astrophysics
Cosmology
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
10,061
5,812
0.578
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Ranking Based On Selection :25
thermal science
additive manufacturing
Atomic Layer Deposition
Cold Gas Dynamic Spraying
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
9,130
6,875
0.753
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
238
1
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 1
Sahal Yacoob
University of Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
289,752
129,340
0.446
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,679
5
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 2
Loan Truong
University of Johannesburg
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
136,805
94,907
0.694
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
1,811
6
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 3
Bruce Mellado
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
131,770
59,787
0.454
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
4,289
10
6
Ranking Based On Selection: 4
Jean Cleymans
University of Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
83,281
40,928
0.491
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
4,787
12
2
Ranking Based On Selection: 5
Simon Connell
University of Johannesburg
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
78,375
40,583
0.518
Nuclear Physics
Particle Physics
Diamond Physics
Quantum Physics
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
4,844
13
3
Ranking Based On Selection: 6
Daniel Joubert
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
77,960
41,312
0.530
Condensed Matter
Density Functional Theory
Electronic Structure
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
5,290
14
4
Ranking Based On Selection: 7
Zeblon Vilakazi
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
74,156
40,192
0.542
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
6,906
22
7
Ranking Based On Selection: 8
Sergio Colafrancesco
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
62,755
30,146
0.480
Astrophysics
Cosmology
Astro-Particle Physics
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
9,272
26
8
Ranking Based On Selection: 9
Joyful Mdhluli
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
52,226
49,911
0.956
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
11,137
32
10
Ranking Based On Selection: 10
Nukri Komin
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
46,471
17,829
0.384
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
11,728
35
3
Ranking Based On Selection: 11
Soebur Razzaque
University of Johannesburg
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
44,980
21,159
0.470
Astroparticle Physics
High Energy Astrophysics
Gamma-ray Astronomy
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
17,932
51
12
Ranking Based On Selection: 12
Andrew Chen
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
34,526
20,757
0.601
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
19,652
56
18
Ranking Based On Selection: 13
Mattia Vaccari
University of Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
32,503
15,434
0.475
Astrophysics
Observational Optical/Infrared/Radio Galaxy Evolution
Cloud Computing
Machine Learning
Statistics
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
22,848
66
6
Ranking Based On Selection: 14
Francesco Petruccione
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
29,561
17,968
0.608
Open quantum systems
quantum information processing and communication
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
23,789
71
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 15
Roy Maartens
University of the Western Cape
Bellville, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
28,787
10,348
0.359
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
27,772
78
14
Ranking Based On Selection: 16
Xifeng Ruan
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
25,965
9,461
0.364
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
27,877
79
1
Ranking Based On Selection: 17
HC Swart
University of the Free State
Bloemfontein, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
25,903
17,538
0.677
nanophosphors
luminescence
cathodoluminescence
surface characterization
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
43,519
139
20
Ranking Based On Selection: 18
Tasnuva Chowdhury
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
18,923
18,229
0.963
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
53,142
173
4
Ranking Based On Selection: 19
Lerothodi L. Leeuw
University of the Western Cape
Bellville, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
16,332
10,171
0.623
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
62,967
216
3
Ranking Based On Selection: 20
Petrus Johannes Meintjes
University of the Free State
Bloemfontein, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
14,371
9,354
0.651
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
64,543
228
44
Ranking Based On Selection: 21
Sarah Blyth
University of Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
14,110
4,722
0.335
physics
astronomy
extragalactic astrophysics
galaxy evolution
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
74,463
255
3
Ranking Based On Selection: 22
Rosalind E Skelton
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
12,618
7,338
0.582
Galaxy formation and evolution
astronomy
astrophysics
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
83,156
295
9
Ranking Based On Selection: 23
Paulus Kruger
North West University
Potchefstroom, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
11,520
8,019
0.696
Low Noise Amplifiers
Gamma-ray astrophysics
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
97,613
357
31
Ranking Based On Selection: 24
SD Maharaj
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
10,061
5,812
0.578
General relativity
Relativistic astrophysics
Cosmology
* Total Citation Counts Rankings
Rankings
108,992
407
14
Ranking Based On Selection: 25
Tien-Chien Jen
University of Johannesburg
Johannesburg, South Africa
Citation Metrics
Total
Last 6 Years
Last 6 Years / Total
9,130
6,875
0.753
thermal science
additive manufacturing
Atomic Layer Deposition
Cold Gas Dynamic Spraying