Cally Ardington is a Professor in the School of Economics and the Deputy Director of the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU). She completed her PhD in Economics at the University of Cape Town in 2009.

Her research interests lie in development and labour economics with a focus on the ways in which public and private intergenerational support systems affect economic, demographic, education and health outcomes in South Africa. 

She has extensive experience in the design, management and micro-econometric analysis of social surveys and has published widely in the fields of labour market analysis, social assistance and human capital. 

She has several publications in highly regarded international journals including the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, Journal of Development Economics, Demography, Economic Development and Cultural Change and Industrial and Labor Relations Review. She is an affiliate of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL).