Emma Whitelaw

Emma is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU), based in the School of Economics at the University of Cape Town. 

In 2023, she graduated with her PhD in Economics from the University of Cape Town, having worked on topics related to inequalities in post-school education in South Africa, especially  student funding, access, and success. Emma continues this work, contributing to studies falling under the Siyaphambili Initiative, a hub for post-schooling information and research in South Africa. She is also an active member of the African Centre of Excellence for Inequality Research (ACEIR).

Her current work extends to inequality dynamics, with special interest in the nexus of education, labour markets, and other social outcomes in South Africa and Ghana. 

Emma holds an MSc in Economics and Public Policy (cum laude)  from the University of York and an MA in African Languages (cum laude) from the University of Cape Town. She is an active alumna of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation, which aims to build exceptional leadership capacity in Africa.