Sub-Saharan Africa has lost nearly a quarter of its biodiversity
ResearchStellenbosch University December 15, 2025
A new African-led study finds that sub-Saharan Africa has already lost 24% of its biodiversity since pre-industrial times. This means that, on average, the populations of diverse plants and animals across the region have declined by nearly a quarter. Some species, particularly large mammals, have declined much more severely, and... Read more
Under Southern Skies: How stargazing is shaping mental health research in South Africa
ResearchStellenbosch University December 13, 2025
As South Africa’s mental health challenges rise, a pioneering research project is turning to an unexpected ally: the night sky. Researchers from Stellenbosch University’s (SU) CoCREATE Health Hub (a niche in the Division of Health Systems and Public Health) and the International Astronomical Union Office of Astronomy for Development... Read more
WSU study exposes language barriers hindering student success
ResearchWalter Sisulu University December 12, 2025
An investigation by two academics from Walter Sisulu University’s Directorate for Teaching and Learning has revealed a concerning trend: many students struggle to grasp key components of their coursework due to limited English proficiency. In their study, “Overcoming Linguistic Barriers: Assessing the Role of Writing Centres from Students’ Perspectives at... Read more
Dr Mallum is SA’s first PhD graduate in radiotherapy, oncology
Research November 19, 2025
Cancer patients in Africa face some of the toughest odds in the world. Still, the ground-breaking research of Dr Abba Aji Mallum, who is UKZN’s first PhD graduate in Radiotherapy and Oncology, offers renewed hope for improving cancer care across the continent. Born in Gamboru Ngala, Borno State, Nigeria,... Read more
‘Queering Masculinity: Engaging the Performance and Meaning among Nagara Dancers in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal’, a research paper by Nico Nehaal Ramdhani, explores how Nagara dancing serves as a site for gender expression and identity negotiation among male performers in Durban. Drawing on Judith Butler’s gender performativity theory and the lived... Read more
Study reveals potentially harmful flavourings in foods for South African babies
Research November 12, 2025
Many packaged foods for babies and young children sold in South Africa contain flavourings that could harm their eating habits and health. Flavourings in these foods – also known as commercial complementary foods (CCFs) – require reevaluation, and labelling regulations must be properly enforced. According to researchers at Stellenbosch... Read more
Primary care providers need stronger support to deliver mental health services
ResearchStellenbosch University November 4, 2025
In South Africa, up to nine out of ten patients with mental health disorders do not receive treatment or have access to mental healthcare programmes. Primary healthcare (PHC) practitioners are working to fill this gap, but they are not receiving the necessary support. This, according to researchers from the... Read more
New study highlights role of fathers’ drinking in foetal alcohol spectrum disorder
ResearchStellenbosch University October 24, 2025
It’s a well-known fact that foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in children is caused by mothers who drink during pregnancy. But it turns out that the father’s drinking habits could also affect a child’s growth and development. A team of international researchers — including contributors from Stellenbosch University (SU)... Read more
NRF-SAEON MD leads groundbreaking weather disasters study
Research October 20, 2025
The Managing Director of the South African Environmental Observation Network (NRF-SAEON), Dr Mary-Jane Bopape and her research collaborators have published a groundbreaking research paper in a journal that analyses weather-related disasters in South Africa from 1980 to 2023. This comprehensive study utilises data from the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT)... Read more
UFS PhD student honoured with L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award
AwardsResearchUniversity of the Free State October 20, 2025
Runè van der Merwe, a final-year PhD student in the Department of Zoology and Entomology at the University of the Free State (UFS), has been selected as one of eight recipients of the prestigious L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science National Programme Award in 2025. The accolade recognises exceptional early-career women scientists whose research... Read more
