The National Research Foundation’s rating system benchmarks South African researchers against leading international peers, recognising excellence based on the quality and impact of research outputs over the past eight years. It identifies field leaders, promotes high-quality scholarship, and strengthens the country’s global research competitiveness. 

The Faculty of Humanities is home to three A1, two A2, four B1, seventeen B2, two B3, twelve C1, seventeen C2, one C3, one P, two Y1, and four Y2-rated scholars. An alphabetized list of these scholars appears below.

Emeritus Associate Professor Mohamed Adhikari (Department of Historical Studies)

Associate Professor Markus Arnold (School of Languages and Literatures)

Professor Floretta Boonzaier (Department of Psychology)

Professor Tanja Bosch (The Centre for Film and Media Studies)

Associate Professor Sylvia Bruinders (The South African College of Music)

Associate Professor Jean Brundrit (The Michaelis School of Fine Art)

Dr Barbara Burger (School of Languages and Literatures)

Emeritus Professor David Chidester (Department for the Study of Religions)

Emeritus Professor Jim Cochrane (Department for the Study of Religions)

Emeritus Associate Professor Linda Cooper (School of Education)

Professor Imraan Coovadia (School of Languages and Literatures)

Emeritus Professor Jean-Louis Cornille (School of Languages and Literatures)

Emeritus Professor Owen Crankshaw (Department of Sociology)

Dr Ugo Dessi (Department for the Study of Religions)

Associate Professor Martha Evans (The Centre for Film and Media Studies)

Professor Lesley Green (Environmental Humanities South)

Associate Professor Joanne Hardman (School of Education)

Associate Professor Annemarie Hattingh (School of Education)

Professor Adam Haupt (The Centre for Film and Media Studies)

Professor Ursula Hoadley (School of Education)

Emeritus Associate Professor Salma Ismail (School of Education)

Associate Professor Svea Josephy (The Michaelis School of Fine Art)

Associate Professor Debbie Kaminer (Department of Psychology)

Dr Jane Kelly (The Centre for Social Science Research)

Associate Professor Malgorzata Lipinska (Department of Psychology)

Professor Wahbie Long (Department of Psychology)

Dr Sonja Loots (School of Languages and Literatures)

Dr Thierry Luescher (Research Office)

Professor Nomusa Makhubu (The Michaelis School of Fine Art)

Dr Charles Masango (Research Office)

Professor Carolyn McKinney (School of Education)

Emeritus Professor Rajend Mesthrie (Department of African Studies and Linguistics)

Professor Elena Moore (Department of Sociology)

Associate Professor Shannon Morreira (Umthombo Centre for Student Success)

Emeritus Professor Karin Murris (School of Education)

Associate Professor Musawenkosi Ndlovu (The Centre for Film and Media Studies)

Professor Ryan Nefdt (Department of Philosophy)

Professor Dick Ng’ambi (School of Education)

Professor Francis Nyamnjoh (Department of Anthropology)

Associate Professor Christopher Ouma (Department of English Literary Studies)

Dr Michelle P Pentecost (Department of Anthropology)

Associate Professor Elisabetta Porcu (Department for the Study of Religions)

Emeritus Associate Professor Mastin Prinsloo (School of Education)

Professor Jayarani Raju (Department of Knowledge and Information Stewardship)

Dr Reggie (Rajandren) Raju (Libraries: Research and Learning)

Professor Fiona Ross (Department of Anthropology)

Emeritus Professor Michael Rossi (The South African College of Music)

Professor Rebekka Sandmeier (The South African College of Music)

Emeritus Professor Chris Saunders (Department of Historical Studies)

Associate Professor Leigh Schrieff-Brown (Department of Psychology)

Professor Sa’diyya Shaikh (Department for the Study of Religions)

Emeritus Professor Milton Shain (Department of Historical Studies)

Dr Mzwandile Muzi Shongwe (Department of Knowledge and Information Stewardship)

Professor Mark Solms (Department of Psychology)

Emeritus Professor Crain Soudien (School of Education)

Dr Georgina Spies (Department of Psychology)

Emeritus Professor Abdulkader Tayob (Department for the Study of Religions)

Dr Elona Toska (The Centre for Social Science Research)

Professor Colin Tredoux (Department of Psychology)

Associate Professor Giona Tuccini (School of Languages and Literatures)

Associate Professor Johann van der Schijff (The Michaelis School of Fine Art)

Professor Catherine Ward (Department of Psychology)

Professor David Wardle (School of Languages and Literatures)

Associate Professor Lauren Wild (Department of Psychology)

Professor Sandra Young (Department of English Literary Studies)