Southern Centre for Inequality Studies

News article | Beyond the border — why the immigration debate really mirrors SA’s soul

Are we debating immigration — or who we are as a nation? 🇿🇦
In his latest piece, Imraan Valodia reminds us that the immigration debate isn’t just about policy — it reflects our values, history, and identity.
👉 Do we choose inclusion or exclusion?
💬 Read more:
https://bit.ly/4uWDKse

🚨 Just 1 day to go!
Don’t miss out on this exciting AGREE Conference session:
🌍 From Resources to Resilience: Africa in the Global Green Transition
💡 Presented by SCIS
📅 26 June 2026
⏰ 14h30 – 16h30
💻 Online event
Register now: https://bit.ly/4f9ZnRN

📢 INVITATION | Join Our Webinar
Rethinking Economic Policy in the Case of Informal Traders
The informal trading sector is a backbone of many communities, providing livelihoods, essential goods, and services where they’re needed most.
🎤 Speaker: Dr David Campbell Francis
Senior Researcher, Southern Centre for Inequalities Studies
University of the Witwatersrand

📅 Date: Thursday, 25 June 2026
🕚 Time: 11h00 – 12h30
🌐 Venue: Online
👉 Register now: https://tinyurl.com/y53jvxct

New Article | Myth-busting: why foreigners aren’t taking local jobs

Are migrants really the cause of South Africa’s unemployment crisis?

This article challenges a widely held belief: while many think foreigners are taking jobs, the data tells a different story. Migrants make up just 3.7% of formal employment, a small share in a country with over 11 million formal jobs.
Instead, the real drivers of unemployment lie in deeper structural issues low economic growth, limited job creation, and inequality.

🔗Read the article: https://bit.ly/4epBWDk

| News Article
Are South Africa’s youth still “stuck at the start” 50 years after 1976?
In this powerful reflection, Siphelele Ngidi unpacks how youth unemployment is not just a labour market issue—but a structural one shaped by history, inequality, and a low-growth economy.
Despite expanded access to education, millions of young South Africans remain excluded from meaningful economic participation. The data is stark:
Youth unemployment is 60.9% for ages 15–24 and 40.6% for ages 25–34

Over a third of young people are not in employment, education, or training
Many who are employed are trapped in informal, insecure work.

🔗 Read the full article: https://bit.ly/4w6LPvF

📚 PRO VC Seminar and Book Launch | Crude Capitalism: Oil, Corporate Power, and the Making of the World Market
Join us for an engaging seminar and book launch with Professor Adam Hanieh, Professor in the Department of Development Studies and Director of the Middle East Institute at SOAS, University of London.
🎤 Discussant: Dr Dineo Skosana, Senior Researcher and Head of SWOP at Wits University.
📅 Wednesday, 1 July 2026
🕟 16h30 for 17h00 – 19h00
📍 Origins Centre, Braamfontein Campus West
🔗 RSVP: shorturl.at/Q53t2

🎉 The Southern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS) warmly congratulates Dr Adam Aboobaker, a Visiting Researcher at SCIS, on receiving the Research Out in A+ Journal Publication Award from University of the Witwatersrand.

This prestigious recognition is a testament to Dr Aboobaker’s commitment to research excellence, intellectual rigour, and the production of impactful scholarship. His achievement reflects the important contributions he continues to make to academic research and knowledge generation.

We are proud to celebrate this significant milestone and extend our sincere congratulations on this well-deserved honour. We look forward to his continued success and contributions to the research community.

🌍 Call for Research Partners
The ACACIA Hub is seeking partners across Eastern & Southern Africa to advance research on the care–climate nexus.

Briefing session details:
Date: 23rd June 2026
Time: 16h00-17h30
Register now: https://bit.ly/4eojEkw

SCIS NEW RESEARCH | How can energy policy support a just transition for countries in the global South? Insights from South Africa's renewables procurement

As the global energy landscape evolves, a key challenge is becoming increasingly clear: aligning economic and environmental transitions with meaningful job creation.
New research explores how shifts in energy systems are reshaping labour markets and what this means for inclusive growth, skills development, and long-term sustainability.
This is a crucial conversation for policymakers, researchers, and industry alike.
👉 Read more: https://bit.ly/4eviqE0