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Who we are
Advancing student-led, Africentric research in and for Africa.
The African Research Society was founded in 2022 at the University of Cape Town on a simple conviction: that the questions facing Africa are best answered by researchers who live them. ARS was created to close real gaps: research approaches that overlook African populations, institutions that rarely involve undergraduates, and a field that too seldom places Africa at the centre.
Registered as a non-profit in 2023, ARS connects students with research, questions existing practices, and builds platforms that link emerging and established researchers. As a youth-led NPO, we champion translational, interdisciplinary, and transectoral research that strengthens collaboration and serves local needs.
Vision
A dynamic, self-sustaining research culture where African contexts sit at the heart of inquiry, and where evidence-based solutions are equitable, inclusive, and community-driven.
Mission
To strengthen research capacity, foster meaningful collaboration, and promote innovative solutions anchored in African realities — elevating diverse voices across the continent and its diaspora.
Core values
We place African contexts, challenges, and opportunities at the centre of research.
We bridge faculties, sectors, and industries for well-rounded, real-world solutions.
We dismantle barriers so early-stage researchers get mentorship, resources, and opportunity.
We treat research as a tool for practical, translational impact on African lives.
We uphold responsible, ethical, community-involved research and collective accountability.
What “African” means to us
“African” isn't confined by borders. It's defined by belonging, commitment, and contribution.
Whether you live on the continent, descend from its diaspora, or dedicate your work to African realities — you belong here.
Governance
ARS is a registered non-profit in South Africa (NPO 294-803, registered 31 July 2023), under the oversight of the Department of Social Development, and incorporated as African Research Society NPC (K2025477702). It began as a UCT-recognised society and is now governed by a Board of Directors and a Grand Secretariat.
The Secretariat carries the work through five directorates. Office-bearers are named at africanresearchsociety.org/governance as each appointment is confirmed, and that page states exactly how many seats are filled at any given time.
Directorates of the Grand Secretariat
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