The University of Cape Town (UCT) is a founding partner of the Africa Climate Collaborative, a Mastercard Foundation supported initiative bringing together four leading African and international universities to strengthen Africa’s capacity to drive climate-resilient development and build an inclusive green economy.
The Collaborative brings together UCT, the University of Cambridge, the University of Ghana and Makerere University, with coordination provided by the Association of African Universities (AAU). It is one of seven Mastercard Foundation Collaboratives working to drive systemic change in sectors critical to Africa’s socio-economic development.
The Africa Climate Collaborative aims to invest in the people, research, innovation and partnerships needed to support Africa-led responses to climate change. Its work is organised around four strategic pillars: workforce development; entrepreneurship; research and innovation; and networks, policy and learning.
“The Africa Climate Collaborative enables its partners to make a step change in their capacity to support the next generation of experts and leaders needed to transform Africa to deliver a climate resilient, low carbon and sustainable future, and provide young people with opportunities for fulfilling and meaningful life opportunities,” explains Mark New, co-director of the Africa Climate Collaborative at UCT.
UCT’s role
At UCT, the African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI) serves as the host institute for the Africa Climate Collaborative programme. Through the Collaborative, ACDI will bring together UCT’s existing strengths and initiatives in climate and development within a unified, transdisciplinary framework.
A central focus will be building a stronger pipeline of African climate talent, helping to connect the skills and potential of young people with emerging opportunities in the green economy. UCT’s programme will be delivered through two interconnected platforms: the Graduate School of Climate (GSC) and the Climate Research and Innovation Hub (CRIH).
Supporting future climate change leaders
The Graduate School of Climate will focus on developing the next generation of climate leaders and professionals, providing pathways for young people to build the knowledge, skills and expertise needed to contribute to climate-resilient development and the growing green economy.
The GSC aims to centralise fragmented programmes into a world-class centre for transdisciplinary excellence through:
- An Integrated Master’s Programme, introducing a new 18-month multidisciplinary programme that combines a foundational core course with specialised tracks in areas such as climate and development, applied marine sciences, public health and environmental humanities, and a structured work-placement component. Dedicated scholarships will be available through UCT’s Mastercard Scholars Programme, which has will be entering its second 10-year phase in 2027.
- A Doctoral Training Academy (DTA), a first-of-its-kind structured programme in South Africa that adopts a cohort model with pre-doctoral coursework, to train 60 advanced researchers, with up to 12 fully funded fellowships per year.
- A Postdoctoral Researcher Development Programme, through which postdoctoral fellows will undertake independent research under the mentoring of experienced academics, coupled with a career development programme, positioning them to be future research leaders.
“We are building on existing climate and sustainability teaching at UCT, amplifying it where it occurs while building greater connections between these centres through the shared foundational course – to provide advanced academic content and training in climate change, earth systems and sustainability. We are focussing on interdisciplinarity, innovation and social responsiveness, to create agile thinkers and researchers who are climate responsive; grounded in Africa but connected to global thinking and processes,” says Marieke Norton, Africa Climate Collaborative Masters Programme Lead.
Along with these graduate programmes, the Africa Climate Collaborative is committed to institutional outreach and teacher training programs prioritising capacity building and thought leadership in the climate and sustainability field.
“We will be providing teachers with practical tools and resources to bring climate change into their classrooms, while helping undergraduates to understand the range of careers and opportunities in the climate and sustainability field,” explains Dr Debbie Sparks, Senior Research Officer at ACDI.
Championing innovation and synthesis research
The Climate Research and Innovation Hub will strengthen UCT’s capacity to generate, connect and translate interdisciplinary climate research and innovation, supporting solutions that respond to Africa’s development priorities.
The Climate Action and Innovation Lab (CAILab) will serve as the program’s engine for social innovation and entrepreneurship, bringing together students, researchers, practitioners, and communities to co-design and test solutions to real-world climate challenges. Working together over 6-month cycles, teams will combine research, local knowledge and innovation methods to develop practical evidence-based responses that strengthen climate resilience in the region.
“CAILab makes climate innovation more accessible by working closely with diverse teams, providing the support, expertise and collaborative environment needed to turn ideas into action,” explains Lavinia Perumal,CAILab Lead.
UCT’s African Synthesis Centre for Climate Change, Environment and Development (ASCEND) will also be leveraged to fill evidence gaps for global assessments like the IPCC and IPBES through Synthesis Science (the methodology of integrating diverse data). This component aims to fill critical evidence gaps by analysing existing Africa-generated data, with the programme offering annual 5-day residential short courses to train young scientists in synthesis science methodologies.
Additionally, the Collaborative will convene 12 Early Career Researcher Synthesis Teams to work on high-demand thematic areas that support global scientific assessments like the IPCC. This initiative ensures that African data is effectively utilised for regional and continental climate-related decision-making.
Building partnerships
To ensure long-term impact and collaboration, the program will establish a regional Southern African Community of Practice (CoP) for practitioners, researchers, and alumni. This “community-owned” network will be supported by a dedicated networking officer to facilitate information sharing and collective advocacy. The CoP serves as a platform for knowledge exchange, allowing participants to remain linked to news, funding calls, and employment opportunities long after they have graduated from the formal program
“‘Wicked problems’ such as the climate crisis require us to bridge the gap between science, policy, and practice. A Climate Community of Practice plays a critical role in creating this bridge by enabling needs-driven research and providing platforms for meaningful engagement among researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and communities. Through this collaborative approach, the Community of Practice helps translate knowledge into action while addressing some of the underlying drivers of vulnerability to climate change across Africa,” says Darlington Sibanda.
Through its participation in the Africa Climate Collaborative, UCT will contribute to a broader African network working to develop the people, ideas and partnerships needed to shape a more climate-resilient and sustainable future.
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