Andrew Forbes is a South African physicist and a Distinguished Professor at the School of Physics of the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. He is a leading international figure in the field of photonics, known for his pioneering contributions to structured light. His research focuses on the creation, manipulation, and application of complex light modes, including those with orbital angular momentum, with applications in fields such as high-capacity optical communications, quantum computing, and advanced laser technologies. The author of hundreds of scientific publications, Forbes has received numerous awards for his work. He is a Fellow of international societies such as Optica and SPIE and was awarded the Gold Medal of the South African Institute of Physics. He has also been awarded the Georg Forster Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and holds the prestigious "A1" rating from the South African National Research Foundation, which identifies him as a world leader in his field.