The Sasol Foundation, in collaboration with the NRF is seeking to establish a Research Chair in Development Studies. The aim of this Chair is to enhance strategies and tools for monitoring and evaluating Sasol’s education and Social Impact (SI) interventions, while also assessing their long-term efficacy and impact on beneficiaries and communities. Development Studies being inherently multi-disciplinary, explores the complex interactions between social, economic, political, technological, ecological, cultural, and gendered aspects of societal change at the local, national, regional, and global levels (Summer, 2022). The appointment of a Research Chair in this field is crucial to bringing specialized expertise in evaluating the impact of development programmes particularly those targeted for Sasol’s fence-line communities, i.e., communities where Sasol has operations.  

Sasol invests substantially in programmes that drive socio-economic growth and enhance the overall well-being of individuals and communities where it operates. These evidence-based initiatives are aimed at building social equity, creating sustainable communities, and improving livelihoods in fence-line areas. Sasol SI initiatives are framed around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) as well as the national and local priorities.  Key initiatives include education and skills development programmes, community infrastructure, community development and environmental interventions, infrastructure development, and enterprise development programmes. 

Please refer to the call Funding Framework and Guide for more details about this call. Alternatively, please contact Mrs P Ngwenya at ngwenyap@ukzn.ac.za or call ext 3273 or Ms N Radebe at Radeben4@ukzn.ac.za or ext call 8431