Prof. Matthiam Johan Hendrik (Matie) Hoffman was born on 10 November 1958 in a missionary hospital at Nyanje, north east Zambia. He matriculated at Sentraal Hoërskool, Bloemfontein, in 1976. He joined the Department of Physics at the University of the Free State (UFS) in 1985. He obtained his Ph.D degree in 1998 from the University of South Africa in the field of theoretical solid-state Physics. Between 1985 and 2023 he taught a wide variety of courses in the Physics department. Prof Hoffman has been co-initiator of the Boyden Observatory Educational activities in 1993. He was involved in various initiatives to revitalize Boyden Observatory as a modern research, education, and science communication facility. In 2003 Prof. Hoffman founded the small though active Boyden Observatory Science Centre. In 2004 he received a centenary medal from the University of the Free State for his contributions in the interest of Boyden Observatory. More recently he was the UFS’s project manager for the establishment of the first digital planetarium in sub-Saharan Africa on Naval Hill in Bloemfontein during 2013 and was manager of the Planetarium until the end of 2023. Through the years he initiated various upgrades at Boyden Observatory and the Naval Hill Planetarium. He was actively
involved with the fundraising for these initiatives. With substantial assistance from the UFS Advancement Office he helped to secure a total amount of more than R 30 million (R 52 million if adjusted for inflation) from more than 22 institutions, trusts, and foundations. In additional to the above amount, additional
successes included negotiating the following in-kind contributions from the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality: (a) Water and electricity for the Naval Hill Planetarium since 2013, (b) A 35-year concession for the use of the old Lamont-Hussey Observatory building to host the Planetarium.
Between 2000 and 2015 Prof. Hoffman was a grant holder of the Department of Science and Technology and its agencies for various science awareness and public outreach projects including National Science Week, National Astronomy Month, and Astronomy Quiz projects between 2004 and 2015. He frequently presents public talks on astronomy. Prof. Hoffman also makes regular contributions in the broadcasting media on astronomical events and news. He is a regular guest on the “Sterre en Planete” (Stars and Planets) radio programme on RSG and was a co-author of Sterre en Planete published in 2017 by Naledi Publishers. He also contributed to the book, Ons Karoo, compiled by Deon Meyer and Coenie de Villiers and published in 2021. Prof. Hoffman served as a representative of the academic staff members (non-senate members) on the council of the University of the Free State from 2009 to 2013. In 2012 Prof. Hoffman received the Kovsie Ambassadors Award. He was president of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa for a term of two years and chairman of the trustees of Radio Rosestad for two years. From 2019 until 2022 he was a council member of the African Planetarium Association.
Prof. Hoffman presented talks at many academic, planetarium, and science centre conferences in South Africa and abroad. At present Prof. Hoffman has a contract appointment in the Department of Physics at the UFS for special projects related to the Naval Hill Planetarium and Boyden Observatory. .