Vacancies at University of Cape Town

• The University of Cape Town (UCT) is a research-led, strongly internationalised university, and the only one in Africa included in the Times Higher Education Supplement's Top 200 world universities.
• The School of Economics at UCT is the top-ranked economics department, both in South Africa, as well as Africa. Its PhD programme is in a strong growth phase and is particularly drawing students from the economically growing African continent and other emerging regions.
• The School hosts the DSTI-NRF/Swiss Bilateral Chair in Blockchain Technology, a distinguished appointment under the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI).
• This prestigious programme, supported by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation and the National Research Foundation, provides substantial funding and a strategic platform to drive excellence in research, innovation, and capacity development in emerging technologies.
• The School is seeking to make an academic appointment at the level of Professor in the field of Financial Technology (FinTech) with a focus on blockchain technology to hold the DSTI-NRF/Swiss Bilateral Chair in Blockchain Technology in the School of Economics.
• As part of the Bilateral Chair, the successful candidate will be expected to work closely with the Blockchain Center at the University of Zurich to collaborate on research, supervision and teaching.
• In addition to the annual cost of employment, the DSTI-NRF / Swiss Bilateral Chair will also have access to funding for administrative support, travel, scholarships, bursaries, and other research-related expenses.
• This is a 5-year full-time contract appointment, with a possibility for renewal depending on funding availability. The successful candidate will be required to prepare a proposal in the defined research area, in collaboration with the Head of the School, for approval by the NRF prior to finalisation of the appointment.

Closing date: 30 January 2026 

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Requirements for the job:

• NQF Level 7 (e.g. Bachelor’s Degree or Advanced Diploma) in Computer Science, Information Systems,
• Data Science, process engineering or a related field.
• At least 5 years’ professional experience in systems engineering, data product development, or similar role.
• Ability to design, develop, and maintain interactive dashboards (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, Google Looker
• Studio, open-source platforms) for diverse user groups.
• Strong software engineering and programming skills, with the ability to develop automated pipelines and scalable solutions.
• Ability to integrate multiple systems, standardise reporting processes, and implement quality assurance mechanisms.
• Ability to support and advise public sector officials, City Data Advisors, and municipal teams on data system choices and implementation.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to apply AI/ML techniques for data cleaning, transformation, and visualisation.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively in a team and across multi-stakeholder environments, building trust and fostering collegial work cultures.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare technical documentation, user guides, and academic outputs
• Excellent time management and organisational skills, with the ability to work independently in a pressurised and results-oriented environment…
• Capacity to design, test, and maintain web-based applications or data input tools that are user-friendly and mobile-accessible.
• Ability to provide advice on data governance and ethical handling of sensitive data.

SENIOR DATA SCIENTIST

• (16-month Contract)
• African Centre for Cities (ACC)
• School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics
• Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
• HR

Work Location:

• This position will be based at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town, and may require occasional travel to cities across Africa as required.

Closing date: 28 January 2026

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Requirements for the job:

• PhD in a discipline of relevance to urban data.
• A minimum of five years relevant work experience in research or policy work related to urban data.
• Extensive knowledge of the collection and analysis of quantitative urban data, especially national censuses and national household surveys, and understanding of and ability to communicate stories about the impact data usage has on the public sector.
• Good knowledge of urban issues in Africa.
• Evidence of academic writing ability.
• A strong understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methods, and the ability to work with, and understand, complex datasets.
• Excellent verbal, written and presentation skills.
• Extensive familiarity with government stakeholders in Africa, and ability to develop, manage, and thrive in relationships with public sector executives and senior staffers.
• Familiarity with presenting complex quantitative and qualitative research and analytical findings.
• Computer literacy: experience with Microsoft Office, G Suite, and project management applications.

The following would be advantageous:

• Knowledge of how to create data visualizations in, for example, RStudio or Tableau.
• Skills in website development/maintenance and the use of data management / analysis and statistical software (such as GIS and SPSS).
• Fluency in French.

CHIEF RESEARCH OFFICER: DATA ADVOCACY

• (16-month contract)
• African Centre for Cities (ACC)
• School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics
• Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
• HR

Work Location:

• This position will be based at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town, with some international travel as required.

Closing date: 28 January 2026

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• Applications are invited for the full-time post of Research Officer for the Research for Agroecology Network
• Southern Africa (RAENS) project. RAENS is a multi-country, multi-year project (ending December 2028) undertaken by a consortium of regional and international partners led by the DSTI/NRF Bio-Economy Research Chair at EGS, at the University of Cape Town. It is funded by the European Union.
• The overall goal of RAENS is to establish a robust, innovative, and sustainable multi-actor transdisciplinary agroecology research and knowledge network in southern Africa to strengthen existing initiatives, showcase the potential and scalability of agroecology, facilitate shifts in agricultural training and research towards agroecological and regenerative production, and to inform policy, thereby leading to an enabling landscape for agroecology uptake, research and training.

Closing date: 16 January 2026

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Purpose:

Based on relevant experience, the successful candidate will be expected to contribute to projects within the core disciplines of the CLII:

• Immunology – TB immunopathogenesis studies with a specific focus on the human lung (including controlled human infection models using pulmonary-delivered BCG)
• Proteomics - novel biomarker discovery for the diagnosis of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis
• Genomics – application of next generation sequencing approaches (targeted sequencing, epigenetics) for diagnosis of multidrug resistant pathogens (TB and non-TB)
• Antimicrobial Resistance – identifying mechanisms of AMR development and ways to limit AMR amplification (e.g., role of adjunct inhaled antibiotic, immunotherapeutics, therapeutic drug monitoring etc.)
• As the projects form part of CLII’s Translational Biomedical Research portfolio, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to interface with product development and commercialisation, grant writing and project management.
• Academic Criteria: Applicants must have completed a PhD degree in a foundational discipline relevant to the topic (e.g., PhD in Biochemistry, Chemistry, Microbiology, Immunology, Bioinformatics, or related field).
• The applicant should not have previously held any permanent professional or academic post (previous postdoctoral position at UCT or another academic institution is acceptable).
• Applicants should have a proven track record of scientific outputs (i.e., publication record in accredited international journals, and oral or poster presentations at recognised national or international conferences), interpersonal skills, and be able to effectively conduct research as part of a multi­disciplinary team.
• Candidates should frame their CVs in the context of the core disciplines of the CLII (listed above) and highlight key laboratory techniques and evidence of research experience.
• Meeting the following criteria would be desirable and count in the candidates’ favour:
• Laboratory-based experience working with clinical samples (e.g., sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage, blood, urine, pleural fluid, CSF).
• Experience working with infectious pathogens (e.g., TB, SARS-CoV2) in BSL2 and 3 laboratory settings.

Conditions of Award:

• Postdoctoral research fellowships are only available to individuals who have achieved their doctoral degree within the past 5 years.
• The successful candidate may not have held any prior permanent academic or professional posts (previous postdoctoral position is acceptable).
• No benefits or allowances are included in the value of the fellowship.
• The successful candidate will be required to comply with the University’s approved policies, procedures and practices for the postdoctoral sector.
• There will be a skills assessment and tour of the research facility as a mandatory requirement of the interview process.

Closing date: 15 January 2026