The Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance at the University of Cape Town (UCT) has five broad research areas, which reflect our five thematic pillars: democratic governance, developmental regionalism, sustainable development, social inclusion, and public policy implementation on the African continent.
Featured publications
Pathways to Green African Industrialisation report launched at Africa Climate Summit in Addis Ababa
Africa’s path to sustainable growth must put industrialisation first while maximising green opportunities, advises the Green Industrial Development Expert Panel (GIDEP).
Read more
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and developmental regionalism: A handbook
F. Ismail, 2021 | Book
This handbook is intended to provide negotiators, policymakers and other stakeholders with an overview of the theory and implementation of the AfCFTA ...
View
The Oxford Companion to the Economics of South Africa
H.I. Bhorat, A. Hirsch, R. Kanbur and M. Ncube (eds), 2014 | Book
In 1994 South Africa saw the end of Apartheid. The new era of political freedom was seen as the foundation for economic prosperity and ...
View
Papers, policy briefs and analyses
- Reimagining cooperation on trade and sustainability: insights and perspectives | Conference Paper
- How can the Cotton, Textiles and Apparel Regional Value Chain drive the implementation of the AfCFTA? | Working Paper
- Green Industrial Development Expert Panel (GIDEP) | Position Paper
- Green Industrial Development Expert Panel (GIDEP) | Executive Summary
- The role of the AfCFTA in scaling up Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Trade in Africa | Policy Brief
- Focus on Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Trade under the AfCFTA | Landscape Analysis
- Click here to access the School's research papers and policy briefs related to the AfCFTA
Books and book chapters
- Gebrihet, H., & Pillay, P. 2023. Corruption and Identity Politics in the Ethiopian Political Transition: An Early Comparative Analysis. The Nexus between Poverty and Corruption: Quo Vadis?, 350.
- Ismail, F. 2021. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and developmental regionalism: A handbook. Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies. 134pp. ISBN: 978-92-9162-053-1
- Ismail, F. 2020. WTO reform and the crisis of multilateralism: A developing country perspective. South Centre, Geneva, Switzerland. 142pp. ISBN: 978-92-9162-053-1
- Hirsch, A. 2005. Season of hope: Economic reform under Mandela and Mbeki. University of KwaZulu-Natal Press, IDRC. 305pp. ISBN 1-55260-215-5
- Levy, B. 2014. Working with the grain: Integrating governance and growth in development strategies. New York: Oxford University Press. 253pp. ISBN 9780199363810.
- Bhorat, H.I., Hirsch, A., Kanbur, R. and Ncube, M. (eds) 2014. The Oxford Companion to the economics of South Africa. 410pp. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199689248.
- Fritz, V., Levy, B. and Ort, R. (eds) 2014. Problem-driven political economy analysis. 262pp. Washington: The World Bank. ISBN 9781464801211
- Lopes C. (2021) Could this be the African century?. In: Wang H., Michie A. (eds) Consensus or conflict? China and globalization. Springer, Singapore.
- Hirsch, A. 2013. Aspirations to an elusive developmental state: the obstacles to deep reform. In B. Ngcaweni (ed), The future we chose: Emerging perspectives on the centenary of the ANC, pp. 297-310. Pretoria, South Africa: Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA). ISBN 9780798304368
- Levy, B. 2014. Commanding heights: the governance of state-owned enterprises in contemporary South Africa. In H. Bhorat, A. Hirsch, R. Kanbur and M. Ncube (eds), The Oxford companion to the economics of South Africa , pp. 202-208. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199689248
Journal articles
- Lifuka, R., & Haricharan, S. (2024). President Mwanawasa’s transition to transformational leadership in combating political corruption in Zambia. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, pp. 50-60.
- Gebrihet, H.G. and Mwale M. L. (2024). The effects of polarisation on trust in government: evidence from Ethiopia, Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy, Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 193-216.
- Weldu, GT, Gebresilassie, Y.G, and Gebrihet, H.G. (2024). "Dynamic effects of fiscal consolidations on income inequality in Sub-Saharan African countries" Macroeconomics and Finance in Emerging Market Economies.
- Gebresilassie, Y. H., Gebrihet, H.G., and Woldu, G. T. (2024). Corruption and growth in Sub Saharan African countries: Do differences in government effectiveness matter? . Journal of Social Economics Research, 11(1), 45–59.
- Rule, D.M. (2023). Development and Evaluation of the Teacher Reporting Questionnaire for South African Foundation Phase Educators (TRQ-SA) in Measuring Teachers’ Intentions to Report Child Sexual Abuse Suspicions. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse. DOI: 10.1080/10538712.2023.2193576
- Nxele, M. (2022). ‘Crony capitalist deals and investment in South Africa’s platinum belt: a case study of Anglo American Platinum’s scramble for mining rights, 1995–2019’, Review of African Political Economy, 49(173), pp. 395–416. doi: 10.1080/03056244.2022.2098009
- Gebrihet, H. G., & Pillay, P. (2021). Emerging Challenges and Prospects of Digital Transformation and Stakeholders Integration in Urban Land Administration in Ethiopia. Global Journal of Emerging Market Economies, 13(3), 341-356.
- B. Levy. (2015). Governance reform: Getting the fit right, Public Administration and Development , Vol 35, issue 4, pp. 238-249.
Working papers
- Naidoo, V. Measuring the effects of politicisation on bureaucratic behaviour in Africa. 2022
- Haricharan, S.J. Is the leadership performance of public service executive managers related to their emotional intelligence? 2022
- Iwuamadi, C., Gallina, S., Nassuna, R., Fellinger, T. How youth involvement in the AfCFTA process could lead to a successful implementation of the continental agreement. 2022
- Raftopoulos, B., Kanyenze, G., Nederlof Sithole, M. Navigating Turbulence in Zimbabwe 2021
- Levy, B., Hirsch, A., Naidoo, V., Nxele, M. South Africa: When Strong Institutions and Massive Inequalities Collide 2021
- Govender, R., Kimemia, D., Hornsby, N., Van Niekerk, A. Differentiation of paediatric burn injury by household energy source in south Africa 2020
- Govender, R., Hornsby, N., Kimemia, D., Van Niekerk, A. The role of concomitant alcohol and drug use in increased risk for burn mortality outcomes 2020
- Swart, L., Day, S., Govender, R., Seedat, M. Participation in (non) violent protests and associated psychosocial factors: sociodemographic status, civic engagement and perceptions of government's performance 2020
- Camerer, M. Challenges in integrity management: The case of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) 2020
- Fakir, S. The Politics of Universalism versus Particularism – reason versus feelings in a changing world 2019.
- Levy, B. Fostering Change when Governance is Complex: Some Lessons from Practice. 2019.
- Levy, B. and Shumane, L. School governance in a fragmented political and bureaucratic environment. 2017.
- Kota, Z; Hendricks, M; Matambo, E and Naidoo, V. The governance of Basic Education in the Eastern Cape 2017.
- Hirsch, A and Levy, B. Elaborate Scaffolding, Weak Foundations: Business-Government Relations and Economic Reform in Democratic South Africa. 2017.
- Levy, B., Cameron, R., Hoadley, U., Naidoo, V. The politics and governance of basic education: A tale of two South African provinces 2016
- Cameron, R., Naidoo, V. When a ‘ruling alliance’ and public sector governance meet: Managing for performance in South African basic education 2016
- Hoadley, U., Levy, B., Shumane, L., Wilburn, S. Leadership, stakeholders and learner performance in four Western Cape schools 2016
- Cameron, R., Levy, B. The potential and limits of performance management: Improving basic education in the Western Cape 2016
- Philip, Kate. The transformative potential of public employment programmes. 2013
Other
Case studies
- Leading in public life: Emerging African Leaders Programme - the first 100+:2015 -2018
- Why the lights went out: Reform in the SA energy sector
- Turning the tide: The Johannesburg Development Agency and its role in revitalising the inner city
- Financing the future: Budget reform in SA: 1994-2004
Conference papers and reports
- “Child sexual abuse reporting intentions and behaviours of primary school teachers in South Africa: an application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour”, International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect (ISPCAN) Congress Quebec City, Canada
- “Development and evaluation of the TRQ-SA survey instrument to measure teachers' child sexual abuse reporting intentions”, International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect (ISPCAN) Congress Quebec City, Canada
- Emerging African Leaders Programme 2017: A report of the Building Bridges Programme
- Research Roundtable: Governance, Society and Development in Africa August 2016: A report of the Building Bridges Programme
- The Graduate School of Development Policy and Practice- 2011-2016: GSDPP's 5 year report
- Leading in Public Life - Young African Leaders Programme 2016: A report of the Building Bridges Programme
- African Economic Integration 2014-2016: A report of the Building Bridges Programme
- Leading in Public Life - Young African Leaders Programme 2015: A report of the Building Bridges Programme
Master's dissertation research series
- Chikohomero, R. Education in Service of Patronage? An Analysis of the Collision between Learning-Oriented Reforms and a Cohesive and Coherent Education Bureaucracy System in Zimbabwe. 2019
- Keka, A. Changes in the Quality of Extension Services in the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform Between 2006 and 2013: An Exploration of Joe Gqabi District. 2019
- Mabalane, K. An Institutional Analysis of Municipal Entities: The Case of City Power. 2019
- Mbuzi, L. Pursuing Development through International Standard Based Global Multi-Stakeholder initiatives: An Account of The Extractive Industry Transparency in Zambia. 2019
- Nkwatsibwe, C. Winning and Sustaining Space for Civil Society in Semi Authoritarian Settings: What Works and What Doesn’t Work – The Case of Uganda. 2019
- Morewane, R. The Interface Between the Traditional Leadership and the District Health Management Offices in the Delivery of Health Services in Mopani, Vhembe and Sekhukhune Districts in Limpopo Province. 2018.
- Pretorius, P. The Implications of Comprehensive and Incremental Approaches to Public Sector Reform for the Creation of a Development State in South Africa: Case Study of the Oceans Economy Operation Phakisa. 2018.
- Uppink, L. Rescuing Urban Regeneration from Urban Patronage: Towards Inclusive Development in the Voortrekker Road Corridor. 2018.
- Mageza, Q. An Exploration of Actions to Explore Public Entrepreneurship in the Implementation of the Expanded Public Works Programme in the Eastern Cape 2017.
- Makombe, P. Governance Reforms and National Benefits: Problems and Prospects in Marange Diamond Mining in Zimbabwe. 2017.
- Nsupila, M. Orchestrating backward linkages from the extractive sector to other productive value adding sectors: a case studyof the mining and the manufacturing industries in Zambia 2017.
Research roundtable publications
Research Roundtable: Governance, Society and Development in Africa August 2016: A report of the Building Bridges Programme