Prof Ari Sitas, Prof Amiena Bayat, UWC Rector and Vice Chancellor, Prof Robert Balfour and former President Kgalema Motlanthe during a dialogue at UWC. Image: Shelley Christians/UWCHer career reached a new milestone this week when she was awarded the DSTI/NRF-Sasol Foundation Research Chair in Development Studies, where she will hold the Local and Regional Economic Development Chair.
The University of the Western Cape’s (UWC) Prof Amiena Bayat’s new appointment, under the auspices of the South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChI), is supported by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSTI), the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Sasol Foundation.
It is not only recognition of the passionate and radical activist for her scholarly achievements, but also a powerful platform to advance her mission of poverty alleviation and education reform.
A DSTI/NRF-Sasol Foundation Research Chair in Local and Regional Economic Development is expected to provide academic leadership, conduct applied research and evaluate development interventions, particularly those linked to a specific sponsor’s (Sasol) focus area, such as social impact programmes in local communities. The duties combine scholarly responsibilities with community-focused impact assessment.
The Chair will allow Prof Bayat to expand her research, mentor emerging scholars and influence policy. It is a role that aligns with her lifelong commitment to bridge academic inquiry with social impact, and with her mission to ensure that economics serves as a tool for social justice, creating pathways out of poverty and reforming education systems that perpetuate inequality.
“The award is an opportunity to create a living lab to assess what the investments of Sasol have practically translated into - how it changed the lives of communities. It provides an opportunity to identify and implement integrated interventions that build healthier, more resilient communities and enable households to break persistent cycles of poverty,” she noted.
Prof Bayat’s earlier academic journey included multiple international engagements. After completing an MA in Development Economics in the USA as a Nelson Mandela Economics Scholar, she completed a PhD in Economics at UWC. Here, she attended lectures by famous Nobel laureates such as Kenneth Arrow, Joseph Stiglitz and Amartya Sen. These experiences shaped her approach to economics - one that prioritises human well-being over abstract models.
Her research spans diverse areas, including development finance, early childhood development and poverty trends in South Africa and the global south. Whether analysing the role of green finance in unlocking infrastructure development, or investigating why schools underperform, Prof Bayat’s work is always anchored in the lived realities of ordinary people.
She has conducted research and provided consultancy services for organisations such as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the South African Presidency. Throughout this work, she has consistently advocated for inclusive economic growth and for ensuring that marginalised communities are not left behind. She is also a partner in the UNESCO Chair in Wellbeing, Gender Equity and Education.
Education reform is another cornerstone of her mission. Her studies on early childhood development in Cape Town’s low-income areas highlight the importance of parental involvement and infrastructure. For Prof Bayat, education is not merely a policy issue. For her, it is the foundation of social mobility and empowerment. Her personable approach ensures that these issues are not treated as abstract debates but as urgent matters affecting real lives.
Students and colleagues describe the soft-spoken academic as empathetic and deeply engaged - someone who listens with sincerity and acts with conviction. She has supervised over 20 Master’s and 13 PhD students to completion, nurturing the next generation of development thinkers. This mentorship will be further strengthened by her new role.
“It is important to me that students develop a critical consciousness: that they do not simply accept the world as it is, but learn to interrogate assumptions, analyse complex realities and engage communities with empathy. I regularly involve students in my research and development projects, giving them direct exposure to fieldwork and international institutions. These experiences allow them to connect theory with practice, understand development challenges from multiple perspectives and build confidence as emerging professionals. I find it especially rewarding to see students gain access to opportunities that can transform their academic and professional trajectories,” said Prof Bayat.
As she steps into this new, but not unfamiliar chapter, she is ready for her role as a scholar-activist, and her journey, guided by compassion and purpose, demonstrates that academia can be a powerful tool for societal transformation beyond the walls of UWC.
