Democracy Without a Path: What the 4 November Local Elections Are Really About?

On Wednesday 4 November 2026, South Africans go to the polls to elect the councils that will run their municipalities for the next five years. Registration has closed, the parties have campaigned of which more than 600 are registered, and the campaign posters are on the street poles. But beneath the campaigning and radio adverts, […]

Book Review: Reclaiming African Environmentalism: Ecological Struggles for wellbeing and habitability

Book Review: State of the Nation: Quality of Life and Wellbeing

Book Review: Reclaiming African Environmentalism: Ecological Struggles for Wellbeing and Habitability

Who Killed Steve Biko? The Inquest Returns Almost 50 Years On

Nearly five decades after Steve Bantu Biko died in police custody, the question that has haunted South Africa for generations is back before the courts. The reopened inquest into his death got underway at the Gqeberha High Court in August 2026, after years of delay over funding and legal representation for the surviving persons of […]

Review of African Literature and Intellectual Histories: Reflecting on Ntongela Masilela’s Work

The place of political biographies in the post-liberation dispensation

Will Xenophobia reshape South Africa’s Trade Relations?

By Shouneez Khan, HSRC Press: 30 July 2026 New African Thinkers: Trade and Sustainability under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement When mobs set a deadline for foreigners to leave, Africa’s biggest trade experiment started to look fragile. The resurgence of xenophobic violence in South Africa from April to June 2026 had significant ramifications for […]

The state of Africa: poverty and inequality in African cities

24 February 2026  ·  HSRC Connect & AURC The state of Africa: poverty and inequality in African cities Also featured at the 10th Africa Unity for Renaissance Conference, Emperor’s Palace This HSRC Connect explores how rapid urbanisation in Africa is reshaping cities while deepening poverty and inequality for many urban residents — covering inadequate housing, […]

Systematic collaboration for educational equity

17 March 2026  ·  HSRC Connect Systematic collaboration for educational equity Parental caregiver involvement and South African education A panel of experts discussed a pivotal new book exploring systemic collaboration for educational equity in South Africa. The discussion advocates for a systemic understanding of education — viewing the school as part of a broader ecosystem […]