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Among the graduate students in the top fifty economics PhD programmes in the United States, two are South African and 47 are Brazilian.

South Africa has the talent. What it lacks is a reliable path into the world’s leading PhD programmes. The Pipeline is built to provide one.

Source: a count of African PhD students across the top 50 US economics departments, October 2025.

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The vision

Where economists are trained matters.

Where economists train shapes the work they go on to do. The leading departments pass on technical skills, but also research norms, professional networks and the judgement that comes from working alongside people who set the research agenda internationally. A South African trained in one of these departments can put that preparation to work on questions about the country, combining advanced methods with close knowledge of local institutions, history and data, wherever they are based.

Whether they stay abroad or return, these economists matter to South Africa. They produce research that bears on the country’s economic prospects, they open doors for the students who follow, and they build the networks and datasets that good research depends on. In South African economics, all of this is scarce.

  1. 01

    Bursary programme

    Bring strong quantitative students into economics, support them through honours and, for some, a master’s, and help them build a record that international admissions committees recognise.

  2. 02

    Summer School

    Two weeks each November of PhD-level short courses taught by visiting scholars: intensive training and direct contact with internationally recognised researchers.

  3. 03

    PSG–PhD Workshop

    A two-day workshop that raises the quality of doctoral research in South Africa and reconnects South Africans studying abroad with the research community here.

  4. 04

    Postdoctoral programme

    Researchers trained at strong international universities, who raise local research standards and mentor students and PhD candidates.

For students

Want to contribute to economics research at the frontier?

Each year we support a small number of students through honours and, for some, a master’s, preparing them for doctoral study at leading economics departments abroad. The programme is selective and demanding. It asks a great deal of the students it admits, and it is best suited to those who want a career in research.

Who we look for

We welcome applicants from any South African university, and an economics major is not required. We look first for a strong record in mathematics and statistics, and then for the qualities that matter in research: persistence, curiosity, intellectual honesty and a readiness to work on questions that have no settled answer.

  • A cumulative average of 70%+ over your last two years of study.
  • At least one full year of mathematics (calculus and linear algebra), 70% or higher.
  • At least one full year of statistics or mathematical statistics, 70% or higher.
  • Some sign of independent or curiosity-driven work: a research project, a strong essay or a technical interest pursued on your own.

What you receive

  • A bursary of R200,000 a year, so you can study full-time.
  • Honours, then – for those who show clear PhD potential – an 18-month master’s package.
  • A Stellenbosch mentor with an international PhD, and an international mentor in your field.
  • The November Summer School: intensive, PhD-level courses from visiting scholars.
  • Support with GRE preparation and PhD applications, and access to the software used in current research.

What we expect

  • Full-time commitment to your studies.
  • Attendance at the Summer School and genuine engagement with your mentors.
  • Honest, regular reporting on your progress.
  • A readiness to spend several years building deep expertise, often before the work brings much financial reward.

How to apply

  • Two reference letters from lecturers who taught you quantitative work.
  • A two-page personal statement, marked blind by the committee.
  • A structured interview covering your motivation, an unfamiliar problem to reason through and a setback you have learned from.
  • For shortlisted candidates, an optional supervised problem set.

The application cycle

  1. 1 JulyApplications open
  2. 31 AugustApplications close
  3. SeptemberShortlist & references
  4. OctoberInterviews
  5. NovemberOffers
  6. FebruaryCohort begins
Register your interest Applications for the first cohort open 1 July.

Common questions

Do I have to be a Stellenbosch student?

No. The Pipeline is open to top-performing students from any South African university. Bursars complete honours and, where eligible, the master’s package at Stellenbosch.

Do I need an economics major to apply?

For the 2027 cohort, yes – an Economics 3 course (or equivalent) at a South African university is required. From 2028, the programme will also open to strong quantitative students from mathematics, statistics, engineering and related fields, with a funded online bridging course before honours begins.

What does the bursary cover?

R200,000 per year (approximately US$15,000). The amount is intended to cover tuition and reasonable living costs so that you can study full-time. Honours bursars who show clear PhD potential are eligible for an 18-month master’s package on the same terms.

Does the PhD have to be in the United States?

No. The programme prepares students for doctoral study at leading economics departments worldwide – including Warwick, Zurich, Toronto, Canberra, alongside the strongest US programmes.

What is the Summer School, and is it compulsory?

The Stellenbosch Economics Summer School runs for two weeks each November, with PhD-level short courses taught by visiting scholars. Attendance is required for bursars in the honours and master’s coursework years. A limited number of additional places are available by application to graduate students from elsewhere.

Events

Two events that prepare students for doctoral study.

The programme runs two events each year. One raises the quality of doctoral research done in South Africa; the other gives students intensive training and time to work directly with visiting scholars.

10–11 November 2026 · STIAS, Stellenbosch

PSG–SU Economics PhD Workshop

A small two-day workshop for PhD students and early-career economists. Each of the twelve presenters is given a dedicated discussant and an extended discussion, with no parallel sessions. The workshop gives particular attention to research on Africa and South Africa.

Call for papers opening soon.

Keynote speakers

  • Abdoulaye Ndiaye Abdoulaye Ndiaye NYU Stern
  • Sara Lowes Sara Lowes UC San Diego
  • David Yanagizawa-Drott David Yanagizawa-Drott University of Zurich

November 2027 · Inaugural

Stellenbosch Economics Summer School

Two weeks of intensive, PhD-level short courses taught by visiting scholars, with the topics changing from year to year. The courses build advanced method and give students sustained contact with established researchers. Attendance is required for bursars, and a limited number of places are open by application to graduate students from across the country.

Modelled on the leading Latin American summer schools.

From application to PhD

Select a milestone

2026. Recruitment opens on 1 July; the first PSG–SU Economics PhD Workshop is held at STIAS in November, and offers to the first cohort go out the same month.

February 2027. The first cohort of bursars begins honours, each paired with a Stellenbosch mentor and an international scholar.

November 2027. The first Stellenbosch Economics Summer School is held, giving the cohort advanced training and direct contact with visiting scholars.

2028. The strongest students progress to the 18-month master’s package: advanced coursework, then structured research or an international exchange.

December 2028. Bursars apply to PhD programmes abroad, supported by reference letters from scholars who have seen their work.

2029. The first PhD admissions, and the first real evidence of how well the approach works.

Mentors

The scholars who guide our students.

Each student is paired with two mentors. A Stellenbosch academic provides in-person, day-to-day support. An external scholar — an economist with an international PhD and an active research agenda — provides career guidance toward a top doctoral programme.

International scholars

Belinda Archibong Belinda Archibong Johns Hopkins University
Kai Barron Kai Barron WZB Berlin
Jacobus Cilliers Jacobus Cilliers Georgetown University
Christopher Eaglin Christopher Eaglin Duke University
Katherine Eriksson Katherine Eriksson UC Davis
Susan Godlonton Susan Godlonton Williams College
Ebehi Iyoha Ebehi Iyoha Harvard Business School
Neil Lloyd Neil Lloyd University of Warwick

Stellenbosch faculty

Rulof Burger Rulof Burger
Johan Fourie Johan Fourie
Friedrich Kreuser Friedrich Kreuser
Jesse Naidoo Jesse Naidoo
Matthew Olckers Matthew Olckers
Debra Shepherd Debra Shepherd

Stellenbosch postdoctoral fellows

Etienne Le Rossignol Etienne Le Rossignol
Noah Macdonald Noah Macdonald

Donors & partners

The programme is built.
It now needs bursaries.

The Millennium Trust funds the programme’s first bursaries and its running costs. To support more students each year, we invite further donors to fund individual bursaries on the same terms.

R200,000 ≈ US$15,000 · one student, one year
  • Name your bursary – “the [Donor] Pipeline Bursar” – or give anonymously.
  • An annual one-page report on the student you support.
  • An invitation to the Summer School and the PSG–SU Workshop.
  • Direct your support to a particular field, province or partner university, within the programme’s selection standards.

To make a commitment

To discuss funding a bursary, please contact Prof. Johan Fourie directly. EFT, online giving and Section 18A tax-deductible details will be added here once arrangements with the Stellenbosch University Development & Alumni Relations office are finalised.

Fund a bursary

Or download the one-page donor factsheet (PDF) to share.

With the support of

The Millennium Trust PSG