Prof. Haroon Bhorat
Professor of Economics and Director of the Development Policy Research Unit at the University of Cape Town
Prof. Haroon Bhorat is one of the most cited South African economists globally. His work and research interests cover labor economics, poverty, income distribution and inclusive growth. He has co-authored and co-edited several books on labor market and poverty issues in Africa – and more than 250 academic journal articles, book chapters, and working papers. He is a Board Member of the UNU World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), a member of the executive committee of the International Economic Association (IEA), and he sits on the Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP) Board of Directors. He also retains an involvement in the private sector as he serves on the Board of two listed companies in the Retail and financial services sectors.
He earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Stellenbosch University in South Africa, studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and was a Cornell University research fellow. He holds the prestigious SARChI National Research Chair in Economic Growth, Poverty and Inequality research. Prof. Bhorat is a Non-resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, a Research Fellow at IZA (the Institute for the Study of Labour in Bonn), and a member of the University of Cape Town College of Fellows.
Prof. Bhorat has undertaken extensive work for several South African government departments. He currently sits on the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC), established by President Ramaphosa to generate new ideas for economic growth, job creation and addressing poverty. Past career appointments include being an Advisor on the South African Parliament’s High Level Panel on Acceleration of Change and Transformation; Economic Advisor to two past Ministers of Finance; and Economic Advisor to former South African Presidents, formally serving on the Presidential Economic Advisory Panel.