In remembrance: Professor Justine Burns

Dear colleagues and students

It is with deep sadness that we inform you of the passing of our colleague, Professor Justine Burns (53), a professor at the School of Economics. She passed away at her home on Saturday, 7 February 2026 following a long battle with cancer.

Professor Burns joined the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) School of Economics in 1998 after completing an MPhil in the Economics of Developing Countries at Cambridge University, followed by a PhD in Economics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

After joining UCT, she became involved in the work of the Southern Africa Labour & Development Research Unit (SALDRU).

Colleagues described her as a rare talent who went on to become a leading scholar nationally and abroad.

She was an influential member of a small group of excellent young researchers who formed the core team at SALDRU, subsequently serving as a research associate at the unit, leading the university’s work on social cohesion as part of the Poverty and Inequality Initiative.

The first South African economist to study how trust and trustworthiness can be measured experimentally, Burns cared deeply about questions of distributive justice and dedicated her life not just to its study, but also to advocating for it. Beyond her remarkable academic career, Burns was a devoted mother.

Burns is survived by her three sons, Nathaniel Ikeresho, Matthew and Dylan Keswell. A memorial service in celebration of her life will be held at Common Ground Church, Rondebosch on Thursday, 19 February 2026 at 14:00.

The university has offered its support and heartfelt condolences to the Burns and Keswell families, and to all who are mourning this tremendous loss.

Sincerely

The UCT Executive

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