AIMS (the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences) is an exciting initiative recently launched in Cape Town, South Africa. It involves a collaboration of three local Universities (University of Cape Town, University of the Western Cape, and Stellenbosch University) and the active support of the Faculty of Mathematics of Cambridge University. IUTAM is involved in this initiative through a grant awarded under the ICSU 2004 grants programme; the proposal had the support of five sister International Scientific Unions (IUGG,IMU,IUPAP,IUPAC, and IAU), five National Scientific members of ICSU (South Africa, Brazil, Egypt, Netherlands and UK) and TWAS (the Third World Academy of Sciences). A workshop on capacity building, involving representatives of the International Scientific Unions and representatives of many African States will be held at AIMS in April 2004. The lecture will report on the first year of operation of AIMS, the conclusions of the workshop, and the uses to which the IUTAM grant has been put in support of this imaginative venture.