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New AfriGen-D platform set to transform genomics research across Africa The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Division of Computational Biology , in partnership with key stakeholders from the Institut Pasteur de Tunis and the University of Mauritius, will launch the groundbreaking AfriGen-D platform – a transformative initiative dedicated to advancing human genomics research, capacity building and data analysis across the African continent. 30 Apr 2026 Media release

UCT leads collaborative launch of music-based maternal mental health programme The Perinatal Mental Health Project at the University of Cape Town (UCT), in partnership with the Institute for Life Course Health Research at Stellenbosch University, will join the Khayelitsha community on World Maternal Mental Health Day to host the South African launch of Community Health Intervention through Music Engagement for Maternal Mental Health (CHIME). 30 Apr 2026 Media release

UCT launches pioneering liver centre to transform patient care in SA The University of Cape Town (UCT) has launched a first-of-its-kind, multidisciplinary liver centre set to reshape how liver disease is diagnosed and treated in South Africa. 28 Apr 2026 Media release

UCT researchers uncover molecular “switch” that fuels cancer progression Researchers from the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Scientific Computing Research Unit (SCRU) have uncovered a critical molecular "switch" that drives the formation of cancer-associated antigens. The study , published in Nature Communications , details how the spatial relocation of enzymes within a cell’s internal machinery leads to the aberrant "sugar coating" of proteins, a hallmark of cancer progression. 22 Apr 2026 Media release

Where to next? UCT professor to reflect on the future of Jewish life in South Africa Historians often hesitate to predict the future. Yet moments of profound change invite reflection on what lies ahead. Drawing on decades of data collected by the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies , Professor Adam Mendelsohn will, during his upcoming inaugural lecture, examine demographic, religious and political developments shaping Jewish life in South Africa today. 21 Apr 2026 Media release

Study points to music as support for maternal mental health Culturally grounded, community-based music-making can be adapted to support South African women struggling with mental health issues during pregnancy and after birth. This is according to a recent formative study co-authored by Associate Professor Simone Honikman , director of the Perinatal Mental Health Project (PMHP) at the University of Cape Town, together with local and international colleagues. 21 Apr 2026 Media release

More than 40% Capetonians face high air pollution risk – UCT study A study at the University of Cape Town (UCT) has produced the first high-resolution map of air pollution risk across the Cape Town metropolitan area, revealing that more than 40% of the city’s population is exposed to high or very high levels of air pollution. The findings are published in GeoHealth journal . 20 Apr 2026 Media release

UCT commemorates fifth anniversary of Jagger fire The University of Cape Town (UCT) will commemorate the fifth anniversary of a devastating fire that impacted the Jagger Libraries and several other campus buildings on 18 April 2021. 20 Apr 2026 Media release

UCT achieves 96% pass rate in accounting to secure top national rankings The University of Cape Town (UCT) has delivered a standout performance in the January 2026 Initial Assessment of Competence (IAC), with a 96% pass rate among first-time candidates and a strong showing on the national honours list. 20 Apr 2026 Media release

Healthcare practitioners must understand the needs of the people they serve – UCT lecture Amplifying the voices of people living on the margins of society is an ethical imperative for healthcare scholars. It helps them to understand the needs of the people they serve to improve their quality of life, said University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Professor Lionel Green-Thompson, dean of UCT’s Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) , during his recent inaugural lecture. 16 Apr 2026 Media release

UCT study reveals illicit cigarettes dominate South Africa’s market A study by researchers at the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products (REEP) has revealed that illicit cigarettes constitute more than half of the South African market. The research, published in Tobacco Control , warns that this crisis poses a severe threat to both public health and government tax revenue. 16 Apr 2026 Media release

UCT researchers part of major global effort to fight fungal infections Researchers at the University of Cape Town (UCT) are playing a key role in a major international collaboration that has been awarded £4.5 million (approximately R100 million) to advance understanding of fungal diseases that claim around 2.5 million lives each year. 09 Apr 2026 Media release

UCT study reveals power of couple communication in transforming type 2 diabetes care A new study by researchers from the University of Cape Town (UCT) has highlighted the crucial role of couple communication in managing type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The study, published in PLOS Global Public Health , finds that effective dialogue between partners enhances diabetes self-management and could improve health outcomes. 16 Apr 2025 Media release

UCT champions compassionate care in groundbreaking project The University of Cape Town (UCT) is at the forefront of transforming palliative care in South Africa through a groundbreaking, community-based initiative that draws on global best practices. Piloted in Heideveld by family physician Dr Jennie Morgan, the project is a pioneering approach informed by community-based palliative care models developed in India and other parts of the world. 16 Apr 2025 Media release

UCT medical graduate’s journey to excellence and leadership anchored by father’s sage words The personal and academic journey of Luxolo Mdolo, a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) graduate and recipient of the Bongani Mayosi Student’s Academic Prize at the University of Cape Town (UCT), was anchored on sage words from his father who would often say: “I am raising leaders, not followers.” 11 Apr 2025 Media release

UCT researchers sound alarm on teen vaping crisis, urge urgent implementation of Tobacco Control Bill As vaping rates among South African teens surge to alarming levels, public health researchers from the University of Cape Town (UCT) are calling on the government to urgently enact the Tobacco Products & Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill to curb what they warn could become a full-blown national epidemic. 11 Apr 2025 Media release

Host-parasite interactions drive the evolution of nestling ornamentation in birds – UCT research A new study by researchers at the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology has found that coevolution with brood parasites has led to an increased rate of evolution in nestling ornamentation in a species rich group of finches (family Estrildidae). The research, published in the journal Evolution , sheds light on the complex interplay between hosts and parasites in shaping the evolution of juvenile traits in birds. 10 Apr 2025 Media release

UCT Climate Risk Lab reveals misplaced blame for climate crisis across Africa Across 39 African countries, most of those who have heard of climate change place primary responsibility for addressing it on their government, while a further third saw ordinary citizens as most responsible and very few placed responsibility on historical emitters. This is according to a study by researchers from the Climate Risk Lab at the University of Cape Town (UCT), published in the Communications Earth & Environment journal. 10 Apr 2025 Media release

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