School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London

What you'll study

Research topics are organised around thematic supervision strands; proposals should align with one of the programme projects below.

• Project 1 — Contemporary Capitalist Development in the Global South: investigations of capitalist development in contexts such as South Africa and India/South Asia, covering issues like structural transformation, labour surplus and informality, land and dispossession, industrial policy and identity‑based exclusion. Supervisors: Sam Ashman (Wits) and Surbhi Kesar (SOAS).
• Project 2 — Labour, skills and technological change in Africa: doctoral work on changing labour relations and forms of work in Africa amid technological change (including AI and automation), addressing differentiated impacts on labour segments, skills, industrial relations, distributional effects and the role of labour institutions. Supervisors: Bruno Tinel (Wits) and Satoshi Miyamura (SOAS).
• Project 3 — Income Distribution and Development: critical examinations of links between income distribution and development in Global South settings, using heterodox macroeconomic frameworks or analyses of financial subordination, sectoral dynamics and balance‑of‑payments constrained growth; comparisons between African and Latin American countries are possible. Supervisors: Christopher Malikane (Wits) and Fernando Rugitsky (SOAS).

Structure and progression: Year 1 focuses on research training and an extensive literature review with an upgrade from MPhil to PhD expected within nine months; Years 2–3 concentrate on core research and data collection with thesis chapters developed; a fourth year may be taken for write‑up if necessary. Research training is delivered by the SOAS Economics Department and the SOAS Doctoral School, with blended delivery options for students based at Wits.

Entry requirements

Applicants must apply to both institutions by 31 May 2026 and meet the entry criteria of each. For SOAS, applicants need a good Master’s degree in (development) economics or a relevant discipline plus a reference. For Wits, applicants require a Master’s in Economics, Applied Development Economics or an appropriate related background. As part of the application, candidates state either SOAS or Wits as their home institution, which is where they will be physically enrolled and based for the PhD.

Career prospects

Graduates typically pursue research‑focused careers where theoretically informed, empirically grounded analysis of development and political‑economic processes is valued. This includes roles in academic research, policy research units, think tanks, international organisations and NGOs that engage with development, labour, industrial policy and financial systems in the Global South.

Scholarships & funding angle (general)

Tuition fee information is listed on the programme page (the published fee figure is A34,323 for all students). Prospective applicants should consult both SOAS and Wits websites for detailed information on scholarships, studentships, and mobility funding opportunities and contact departmental admissions for guidance on funding routes and eligibility.