Dr Collin Yobe
Dr Collin Yobe is a Senior Research Officer at the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town. He is an economist and policy researcher with a PhD and an MSc in Agricultural Economics from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and more than 15 years of experience spanning research, academia, financial services, agribusiness and development policy.
Dr Yobe brings substantial private-sector experience to his research and policy work, having worked in the financial services sector as well as in agribusiness and other private-sector organisations. This experience informs his interest in the links between financial systems, markets, economic transformation and development outcomes.
His research and publications address issues including technological change and emissions in African agriculture, energy transitions, agricultural cooperatives, circular economy and sustainable resource management. His work has appeared in academic and policy-oriented outlets and he contributes to research and policy debates on Africa’s economic and sustainable development challenges.
Research Interests: Climate and sustainable development finance; Economic transformation and inclusive development in Africa; Regional economic integration and the AfCFTA; Digitalisation, connectivity and African market integration; Energy economics and just energy transitions; Climate-smart and sustainable agricultural systems; Circular economy and resource management; Agricultural markets, institutions and cooperatives; Public policy, development economics and evidence-based policymaking.
Journal publications
- Yobe, C.L., Mudhara, M. and Mafongoya, P., 2019. Livelihood strategies and their determinants among smallholder farming households in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. Agrekon, 58(3), pp.340-353.
- Yobe, C.L., Ferrer, S.R.D. and Mudhara, M., 2020. Measuring the financial efficiency of agricultural cooperatives in South Africa: an application of the Simar–Wilson methodology. Agrekon, 59(3), pp.269-286.
- Yobe, C.L., Ferrer, S.R. and Mudhara, M., 2022. The financial and social efficiency of rural cooperatives in South Africa. African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, 14(2), pp.546-555.
- Yobe, C., 2024. Examining the dimensionality of Circular Economy metrics using Hierarchical Clustering on Principal Components. European Journal of Social Impact and Circular Economy, 5(1), pp.20-43.
- Yobe, C.L., Ferrer, S. and Mudhara, M., 2024. Determinants of market choice among agricultural cooperatives in South Africa. Journal of Agribusiness and Rural Development, (1 [71]).
Yobe, C.L. and Muchara, B., 2024. Evidence from the South African Energy Sector on the Impact of Gas Consumption and Technologies on the Environment. RUDN Journal of Economics, 32(2), pp.287-302.
Book chapter
- Yobe, C.L. and Muchara, B., 2024. Reclamation Technologies for Marginal Soils in Africa: Strategies, Challenges, and Future Directions. In The Marginal Soils of Africa: Rethinking Uses, Management and Reclamation (pp. 339-360). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.