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Crypto assets redefine value and force tax systems to relook policies – UCT lecture The rapid rise of crypto assets is forcing tax systems to ponder if rules designed for a traditional economy can keep pace with technologies that are redefining how value is created, owned and exchanged, a University of Cape Town (UCT) inaugural lecture by Professor Shaun Parsons on heard. 19 Aug 2026 Media release

Better collaboration could help identify unknown dead – first-of-its-kind study reveals Every year, thousands of unidentified people pass through South Africa’s forensic pathology system, leaving families without answers and many victims unnamed. A University of Cape Town (UCT) PhD study by Kate Reid has found that while Cape Town’s forensic identification outcomes are better than previously believed, fragmented record-keeping, poor communication between stakeholders and inconsistent tracking systems continue to delay justice for many families. 19 Aug 2026 Media release

Deep emissions cuts possible at Secunda coal-to-liquids complex The role of the Secunda coal-based liquid fuels and chemicals production complex within South Africa’s energy transition is heavily debated. Sasol has estimated that a rapid and unplanned shutdown of operations at Secunda could reduce the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) by an estimated R9.9 billion and result in 24 900 job losses. 19 Aug 2026 Media release

Pulmonary TB in childhood can leave lasting damage to the lungs, UCT study finds Children who develop pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) may continue to have impaired lung function months after completing treatment, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Cape Town (UCT). 18 Aug 2026 Media release

UCT study reveals how South Africans spend their commute A new study by the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Liberty Institute of Strategic Marketing reveals that while South Africans travel in different ways, they also spend their commuting time differently. 18 Aug 2026 Media release

UCT researcher receives grant to tackle green hydrogen’s iridium problem University of Cape Town (UCT) Associate Professor Rhiyaad Mohamed has been selected as one of only 11 researchers worldwide to receive the 2026 EQT Foundation Critical Minerals Science Grant, supporting research into more resource-efficient green hydrogen production. 17 Aug 2026 Media release

UCT study finds stokvels could help improve healthy eating South Africa’s stokvels could become an important platform for improving nutrition and food security in low-income communities, but their collective buying power is currently used largely to purchase foods chosen for affordability, quantity and shelf life rather than for nutritional value, a new University of Cape Town (UCT) study has found. The findings were published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior . 17 Aug 2026 Media release

UCT professor calls for urgent action amid SA’s slow progress on climate change South Africa’s progress on climate change has been slow due to various complexities, according to Professor Gina Ziervogel , the director of the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI) . 17 Aug 2026 Media release

Update by the UCT Chair of Council on recent legal proceedings The University of Cape Town (UCT) Council held a special meeting on Saturday, 15 August 2026 to consider a number of matters arising from legal proceedings instituted by the Vice-Chancellor for judicial review of four resolutions adopted at its meeting of 30 May 2026, and further to consider other related matters. 16 Aug 2026 Statement

UCT professor calls for pedagogy rethink in the age of AI The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Professor Joanne Hardman will examine how education must respond to the profound challenges posed by generative artificial intelligence and changing approaches to learning in her upcoming UCT Inaugural Lecture. 13 Aug 2026 Media release

UCT’s Papers with Purpose wins Oxford award for transforming research culture A University of Cape Town (UCT) project, Papers with Purpose, has won the University of Oxford’s Research Culture Award during the Oxford’s 2026 Vice-Chancellor’s Awards. 12 Aug 2026 Media release

UCT champions a new vision for child-friendly African cities The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) African Centre for Cities (ACC) has partnered with the Urban95 Academy leadership programme to reach and support a growing network of urban leaders who want to make their cities better for babies, toddlers and their caregivers throughout Africa. 12 Aug 2026 Media release

UCT neuroscience centre provides platform to understand the developing brain The University of Cape Town (UCT) recently launched a new high-tech neuroscience centre that will provide a long-term platform to better understand the developing brain, and improve the diagnosis and treatment of acute brain conditions. The centre will also expand neuroscience research and training across Africa, with the ultimate aim of making a positive difference in the lives of children. 05 Aug 2026 Media release

UCT in partnership to launch All-Africa Rankings Initiative The University of Cape Town (UCT) and Applied Higher Education (AppliedHE) have partnered to launch the All-Africa Rankings Initiative, a continental collaboration that will bring together universities and higher education stakeholders to co-create an African-informed framework for recognising institutional excellence. 05 Aug 2026 Media release

Three quarters of the world could face drought impacts by 2050 – UCT lecture warns Most of the time, the poorest and the most vulnerable suffer the most from water scarcity, University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Professor Djiby Thiam, director of the Water and Production Economics Research Unit at the Faculty of Commerce, said during his recent inaugural lecture. 05 Aug 2026 Media release

UCT doctoral study reframes South Africa’s spaza shop debate A doctoral study by University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Lwazi Ncoliwe has reframed the long-running public debate on township spaza shops. Rather than treating the sector as a story of foreign takeover or state failure, the study argues that what distinguishes business survival is not the owner’s nationality, but the presence or absence of trust among owners, between owners and customers, and between traders and institutions meant to support them. 05 Aug 2026 Media release

UCT professor explores crypto and the future of taxation University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Professor Shaun Parsons, professor of taxation and head of the tax section in the College of Accounting , will present his inaugural lecture, "Technology and challenges to tax norms in the 21st Century: Crypto-assets and beyond", on Thursday, 13 August 2026 at 17:00 SAST in the Mafeje Room, Bremner Building, lower campus. 05 Aug 2026 Media release

UCT study finds prenatal stress may alter brain networks that regulate children’s emotions By the time a child celebrates their third birthday, the foundations of emotional regulation are already being laid deep within the brain. A new University of Cape Town (UCT) study published in Brain Research Bulletin suggests that those foundations may even be influenced before birth. 04 Aug 2026 Media release

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