In 2024, the University of Cape Town (UCT) continued to deepen its engagement in policy-focused research by collaborating closely with government departments and public agencies to tackle pressing socio-economic and developmental issues. Leveraging its research units, academic chairs, and interdisciplinary programmes, UCT has contributed evidence, impact assessments, and technical support to inform government policy across areas such as youth employment, public infrastructure, social development, and climate transformation.

Study of the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES) / Public Employment Programme

Commissioned by the Presidency of South Africa, the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU) at UCT undertook research analysing the economic stimulus effects of the PES, specifically the Basic Education Employment Initiative component. The study examined effects on income, employment, and broader labour market spillovers, and provided evidence to the Presidency on how effective employment stimulus is in generating jobs and incomes, helping inform or adjust policy related to job creation and budgeting.

The researchers conclude that domestic factor income effects may be important in evaluating the economic efficiency of government spending programmes and may help reconcile some of the perceived trade-off in public objectives between poverty reduction and private sector jobs. Finally, they suggest that the sales to domestic factor income conversion estimated in this paper for the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention-BEEI programme implies that other public spending, social grants for example, may have similar initial stimulus effects. This research and a related study were presented and discussed at a public hybrid event hosted by SALDRU and the Agence Française de Développement at UCT on 7 February 2024. 

Local government / municipal infrastructure authorities / public infrastructure agencies

UCT organised the inaugural Public Infrastructure Hackathon in November 2024 involving its civil engineering students and academics. The hackathon was attended by senior executives and decision-makers in government, public infrastructure space, financiers, bulk water utilities, engineering consultants and UCT’s civil engineering final-year students to explore critical challenges facing the delivery of infrastructure aligned with their mandate. The event was structured as a policy-dialogue and problem-solving forum with municipal and national infrastructure bodies present — a direct channel for university research/ideas to inform government practice and policy on infrastructure delivery. Issues addressed included “Impediments to effective infrastructure delivery.” The hackathon helps to identify real bottlenecks in public infrastructure delivery, offers concrete ideas / models developed by students/researchers that government can consider, increases interaction between academia and municipal governance.

UCT engagement with the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) — technical input & convening for the State of Climate Action (PCC report, July 2024)

The PCC’s 2024 technical flagship report The State of Climate Action in South Africa (launched 25 July 2024) was produced with inputs from many experts; PCC materials and ancillary documents show partnering and convening activity involving UCT researchers and UCT units (e.g., African Climate & Development Initiative / energy systems research groups). PCC publication pages and event material record UCT’s role in technical engagement and convening (including a conference with UCT and Eskom on grid issues).
PCC reports are a formal vehicle for advising government on national climate policy and a statutory (Presidential) commission; UCT contributions to the PCC’s technical work constitute formal technical advisory input into national climate policymaking.

UCT clinical/public-health experts serving on national Ministerial Advisory Committees

UCT clinicians and public-health researchers hold positions on national ministerial advisory groups relevant to health policy. Professor Marc Mendelson served as Chair of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and has been active in national AMR and stewardship policy work. Ministerial advisory committees directly guide the Department of Health and ministers on clinical and public-health policy, clinical guidelines and national programmes. UCT staff membership is direct policy advisory participation.