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Wamkelekile, Welkom
Wamkelekile, Welkom
UCT analysis maps coal mine jobs most at risk in SA’s energy transition
The global energy transition from fossil fuels to clean energy is putting increasing pressure on coal mining. However, a just transition requires a deep understanding of the local context and the social realities of mine closure. In a paper published in the respected international journal Energy Research & Social Science , a University of Cape Town (UCT) researcher characterised South Africa’s coal mine workforce and assessed the coal mines and workers most at risk of closure in South Africa.
13 Oct 2025
Media release
UCT lecture to reflect on Africa, knowledge and the postcolonial university
The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Professor Suren Pillay from the Centre for African Studies will present his lecture, “The Eye Crosses the River Before the Body: Being and Becoming African in the University”, on Tuesday, 21 October 2025 at 17:30 SAST in the Mafeje Room, Bremner Building on lower campus.
13 Oct 2025
Media release
UCT climbs 16 places on THE rankings to remain top in Africa
The University of Cape Town (UCT) has again affirmed its status as Africa’s top university, achieving a global rank of 164 in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026. With 2 191 universities ranked this year, UCT now sits in the top 7.5% of universities worldwide – a meaningful upward shift from its 2025 placing.
09 Oct 2025
Media release
UCT researchers reshape the story of human evolution through the Taung Child
The University of Cape Town (UCT), through its Human Evolution Research Institute (HERI) , has partnered with ARC documentary channel to produce Unburied Season 2: The Taung Child . This powerful new podcast tells the story of one of the world’s most important fossils and how it reshaped science, challenged bias and placed Africa at the centre of human evolution.
09 Oct 2025
Media release
UCT researcher questions high-tech policing tools amid Cape Flats gun violence
The University of Cape Town (UCT)’s Grant Oosterwyk, a lecturer and PhD candidate in Information Systems at UCT’s Faculty of Commerce , is driving an important conversation on the role of technology in addressing violence in South Africa’s most vulnerable communities.
07 Oct 2025
Media release
UCT and Council for the Built Environment partner to reshape SA’s infrastructure
The University of Cape Town (UCT) and the Council for the Built Environment (CBE) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will reshape the way academia, government and the built environment sector work together to address national priorities.
07 Oct 2025
Media release
UCT Rowing Club makes history with third consecutive USSA Boat Race title
The University of Cape Town's (UCT) Rowing Club has solidified its position as a national powerhouse by winning the University Sports South Africa (USSA) Boat Race title for an impressive third consecutive year. This remarkable achievement is the first time for any university since the 1980s, marking the beginning of a new era of excellence for UCT Rowing Club.
07 Oct 2025
Media release
UCT launches African Hub to lead AI safety and governance debates
The University of Cape Town (UCT) and the Global Centre on AI Governance (GCG) launched the African Hub on AI Safety, Peace, and Security on 28 September 2025. A first-of-its-kind platform, the hub is designed to ensure that African perspectives are at the centre of global artificial intelligence (AI) safety debates.
07 Oct 2025
Media release
White eggs, black wombs: UCT lecture explores reproduction as a global marketplace
The University of Cape Town (UCT) Professor Amrita Pande of the Faculty of Humanities will deliver her inaugural lecture, “White Eggs, Black Wombs: Staging the Baby Business” on Wednesday, 15 October 2025 at 18:00 SAST in Auditorium LT1, Neville Alexander Building, Lower Campus.
06 Oct 2025
Media release
UCT climate experts selected for key roles in UN IPCC Report
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has selected several lead and contributing authors from the University of Cape Town’s African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI) for its Seventh Assessment Report (AR7). They are Dr Chris Trisos, Dr Luckson Zvobgo, Dr Nick Simpson, Professor Gina Ziervogel and Dr Kossi Hounkpati.
06 Oct 2025
Media release
Methane emissions from coal mines may be far higher than official estimates
A new report by the Minerals to Metals Initiative at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and Swaniti Global has found that methane emissions from South Africa’s coal mines may be far higher than currently reported. However, cutting these emissions represents one of the fastest, most affordable and most impactful opportunities for climate action in the country.
03 Oct 2025
Media release
South African graduates face toughest path to adulthood yet, UCT report reveals
A new report, The First 100 Paychecks , by the University of Cape Town (UCT) Liberty Institute of Strategic Marketing , has revealed that South African graduates find the transition to adulthood more challenging than ever. Over 80% of surveyed graduates view their degrees as worthwhile investments, but many struggle with independence and long-term financial stability.
03 Oct 2025
Media release
Surgical care is not a luxury; it is a human right – UCT virtual summit told
Clinicians must start thinking about what quality care could look like in the African context, as well as what global surgery entails as a component of universal access to care, and not only access, but quality of care for Africa’s patients.
02 Oct 2025
Media release
Einstein Cross opens a new window into studying dark matter in the distant Universe
An international team of astronomers, including one from the University of Cape Town (UCT), has spotted a very rare sight in the early Universe: a galaxy that appears as an “Einstein Cross” – four bright images arranged like a cross, with an extra fifth image shining in the middle.
01 Oct 2025
Media release
UCT places wellbeing at the core of its mission with new centre
The University of Cape Town (UCT) has reinforced its commitment to holistic higher education by launching the Centre for Wellbeing and Flourishing. The centre was unveiled during the university’s first Wellbeing and Flourishing Conference recently hosted at the UCT Graduate School of Business .
01 Oct 2025
Media release
UCT study explores the classic connection between infrared and radio light in galaxies
A new University of Cape Town (UCT) study published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society journal has shed fresh light on the classic connection between infrared and radio light in galaxies.
30 Sep 2025
Media release
UCT launches groundbreaking multilingual book on social justice in higher education
The University of Cape Town (UCT) has published a new open-access book that places inclusivity, transformation and access at the centre of higher education. The book, titled Advancing Social Justice Through Curriculum Realignment: Centring Scholarly Communication in LIS Curricula, challenges traditional barriers to knowledge sharing by making cutting-edge scholarship freely available in four languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese and Setswana.
30 Sep 2025
Media release