This theme centres around our aim to better understand and address persistent disparities in educational and labour market outcomes. A post-compulsory education can be key to fostering upward mobility but, often times, socioeconomic inequalities are replicated within education system itself. Furthermore, questions remain as to what extent educational success promotes to equality in the labour market.

Current and past project involvement under this theme include:

Education, Employment and Earnings: Insights from Administrative Data Linkages

This project builds on a long-standing partnership between SALDRU and the Southern Africa Towards Inclusive Economic Development (SA-TIED) programme, jointly implemented by the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) and South Africa's National Treasury (NT). A decade of collaboration has produced the data infrastructure, research expertise, and inter-departmental data access arrangements that now make this research agenda linking education and outcomes feasible for the first time.

Intergenerational education mobility

Two studies with working papers fall under this subtheme:

Does government spending on education increase intergenerational education mobility? The case of Free Compulsory Basic Education in Ghana

Intergenerational Education Mobility Trends in South Africa: Patterns by Population Group

The South African paper is funded by UNU-WIDER through SA-TIED, and the Ghana paper is jointly funded by UNU-WIDER and our G2LM|LIC project described below.

Student access, support and mobility in higher education in South Africa

This work was funded and supported by the Council on Higher Education (CHE). The primary objective of this research was to analyse how South Africa’s higher education system serves as a vehicle for social mobility, particularly for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The analysis focused on two main areas: (1) the changing composition of university students by school quintile and subject choice and (2) the effectiveness of ECPs in supporting student success (graduation). In addition, the project will support a third analysis on the broader role of higher education in promoting social mobility (jointly funded by UNU-WIDER through SA-TIED). Read more about the project here.

Education and labour market dynamics in a period of rapid education expansion: Building evidence from existing Ghanaian survey data sources

This project aimed to address the broad question ‘What are the education, labour market, and intergenerational socioeconomic consequences associated with the expansion of education access in Ghana, and how do they differ for men and women?’ This project is funded by G2LM|LIC. Read more about this project here.

Women in Economics in South Africa

This project aimed to build a comprehensive database on women in the economics profession in South Africa. Similar projects are also being conducted under this initiative for several other African and South American countries. This project was funded by the International Economics Association under the Women in Leadership in Economics Initiative. Read more about this work here.

The COVID-19 health crisis and inequalities in post-school education in South Africa

COVID-19 saw system-wide closures of institutions, prompting concerns that existing household and institutional inequalities could deepen during this period. Siyaphambili researched changes in student performance and retention during 2020 and 2021. Read key insights from the project here. This research was funded by the Spencer foundation. Read more about this project here.

Social mobility from the middle to the top

This work fell under a partnership between the African Centre of Excellence for Inequality Research and the London School of Economics. To complement the extensive body of work on the dynamics of vulnerability and poverty alleviation, this project aimed to ‘turn the telescope’ using a sociological lens, onto the structuring of privilege in South Africa and Ghana. Read more about this project here.

Journal articles

Whitelaw, E., Branson N. & Leibbrandt, M. (2026). Studying to Support? Exploring Remittance Responsibilities Among Black South African Graduates. Journal of International Development, 38(5): 868-882. 

Branson, N. & Whitelaw, E. (2025). Tracking Progress Towards Gender Equity in the South African Academic Economics Pipeline. South African Journal of Economics, 1–30.

Winfield, J. & Whitelaw, E. (2024). Blended, flipped and lit: Student perceptions and performance under blended learning with a flipped classroom and a lightboard. South African Journal of Higher Education, 38(6).

Branson, N., Hjellbrekke, J., Leibbrandt, M., Ranchhod, V., Savage, M. & Whitelaw, E. (2024). The socioeconomic dimensions of racial inequality in South Africa: A social space perspective. The British Journal of Sociology, 74(4): 613-635.

Branson, N. & Whitelaw, E. (2024). Consequences of secondary school closures for learning in South Africa: Evidence from university application and enrolment data. International Journal of Educational Development, 108: 103062.

Whitelaw, E. & Branson, N. (2024). What goes up must come down? The effect of ‘2020’ on university students' academic performance trajectories. South African Journal of Economics, 92(2): 135-160.

Branson, N. & Whitelaw, E. (2024). South African student retention during 2020: Evidence from system wide higher education institutional data. South African Journal of Economics, 92(1): 9-30.

Whitelaw, E., Branson, N. & Leibbrandt, M. (2023). A dynamic perspective on profiling financial-aid eligibility: The case of South Africa. Journal of Social Policy.

Kerr, A., Piraino, P. & Ranchhod, V. (2017). Estimating the Size and Impact of Affirmative Action in Undergraduate Admissions at the University of Cape Town. South African Journal of Economics, 85: 515-532.

Smith, L.C. & Ranchhod, V. (2012). Measuring the Impact of Educational Interventions on the Academic Performance of Academic Development Students in Second-Year Microeconomics. South African Journal of Economics, 80(3): 431-448.

Smith, L.C., Pym, J. & Ranchhod, V. (2012). What are the Variables That May Explain Commerce University Students’ First-Year Results?, South African Journal of Accounting Research, 26(1): 43-65.

Andrews, R., DesJardins, S. & Ranchhod, V. (2010). The Effects of the Kalamazoo Promise on College Choice. Economics of Education Review, 29(5): 722-737.

Andrews, R., Ranchhod, V. & Sathy, V. (2010). Estimating the Responsiveness of College Applications to the Likelihood of Acceptance and Financial Assistance: Evidence from Texas. Economics of Education Review, 29(1): 104-115.

Book chapters

Branson, N. & Lam, D. (2021). Chapter 33: The Economics of Education in South Africa. In The Oxford Handbook of the South African Economy (Eds. Arkebe Oqubay, Fiona Tregenna & Imraan Valodia).

Branson, N. & Kahn, A. (2019). The post matriculation enrolment decision: Do public TVET colleges provide students with a viable alternative? In Post-School Education and the Labour Market in South Africa (Ed. Rogan, M.). HSRC Press: Cape Town. pp. 37-60.

Branson, N. & Leibbrandt, M. (2019). Assessing the usability of the Western Cape Graduate Destination Survey for the analysis of labour market outcomes. In Post-School Education and the Labour Market in South Africa (Ed. Rogan, M.). HSRC Press: Cape Town. pp. 137-164.

Branson, N., Hofmeyr, C., Papier, J. & Needham, S. (2015). Post-school education: Broadening alternative pathways from school to work. In De Lannoy A. et al. (Eds) South African Child Gauge 2015. Cape Town: Children’s Institute, University of Cape Town.

Working papers

Adzah, B., Branson, N. & Whitelaw, E. (2026) – The mental health dividend of secondary education for Ghanaian women: Evidence from the Ghana Socioeconomic Panel Survey.

Whitelaw, E. & Branson, N. (2026) – Free lower secondary education and gendered labour market consequences: Evidence from Ghana

Branson, N., Kwawu, J. & Whitelaw, E. (2026) – Free Secondary Education and Youth Transitions in Ghana

Whitelaw, E. & Branson, N.  (2026). From school exit to degree completion: Gender differences along the SET pipeline in South Africa.

Branson, N. & Whitelaw, E. (2026). Catalysing social mobility through student success.

Branson, N. & Ressom, H. (2026). Intergenerational education mobility trends in South Africa: Patterns by population group.

Branson, N. & Whitelaw, E. (2026). Does government spending on education increase intergenerational education mobility?: The case of Free Compulsory Basic Education in Ghana.

Branson, N. & Whitelaw, E. (2025). Post-School Education and Training Policies – From 1994 to Now. Policy Paper No.34, Economic Research Southern Africa.

Branson, N., Hendry, J. & Ranchhod, V. (2020). The effects of credit rationing on re-enrollment rates at a University in South Africa.

Branson, N., Culligan, S. & Favish, J. (2020). Information Flows in the South African Post-school Education and Training sector: A focus on university and government stakeholders.

Mosomi, J., Thornton, A. & Branson, N. (2020). Unpacking the potential implications of Covid-19 for gender inequality in the SA labour market.

Whitelaw, E. & Branson, N. (2020). Private transfers and graduate responsibilities: Evidence from the National Income Dynamics Study.

Kahn, A., Branson, N. & Leibbrandt, M. (2019). Returns to English skills in the South African labour market.

Branson, N., De Lannoy, A. & Kahn, A. (2019). Exploring the transitions and well-being of young people who leave school before completing secondary education in South Africa.

Lam, D., Ardington, C., Branson, N. & Leibbrandt, M. (2013). Credit constraints and the racial gap in post-secondary education in South Africa.

Reports

Branson, N. & Whitelaw, E. (2026). Extended Curriculum Programmes and Student Trajectories in South African Higher Education. Evidence from Linked Administrative Data, 2012–2022.

Branson, N. & Whitelaw, E. (2024). Women in Economics in South Africa.

Branson, N., Culligan, S. & Ingle, K. (2020). Developing Siyaphambili: A Stronger South African Nation Website. Moving towards a unified goal to combat inequality and unemployment.

Branson, N., De Lannoy, A. & Brynde, K. (2019). Review of Youth Labour Market Research.

Branson, N., Culligan, S. & Tonini, S. (2019). What & where you study matters in the labour market: Unpacking how employment and wages vary by qualification and institution type.

Branson, N. (2018). An analysis of out of school youth who have not completed matric: What can available data tell us?

Branson, N., Kerr, A. & Muller, S. Funding, access and success in higher education in South Africa.

Briefs & other writing

Whitelaw, E. & Branson, N. (2024). Assessment matters: What can we understand about the National Senior Certificate results during COVID-19 from university entrance exams?

Whitelaw, E. & Branson, N. (2020). Black tax – Do graduates face higher remittance responsibilities?

Whitelaw, E., Culligan, S. & Branson, N. (2020). Student ability to learn at home: An introductory look at student access to remote learning resources.

Branson, N., Culligan, S. & Ingle, K. (2020). Post-school Education and Training in South Africa: Pathways, qualifications, and organisations making up the system.

Branson, N., Culligan, S. & Ingle, K. (2020). The Siyaphambili Website: An interactive platform to track South Africa’s post-school qualification attainment.

School of Economics, University of Cape Town (2017). F(r)ee Higher Education: A School of Economics engagement.

Southern African Labour and Development Research Unit (2017). Understanding the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.

Branson, N. & Leibbrandt, M. (2013). Educational attainment and labour market outcomes in South Africa, 1994-2010. OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1022, OECD Publishing.

Branson, N. & Leibbrandt, M. (2013). Education quality and labour market outcomes in South Africa. OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1021, OECD Publishing.

Newspaper articles

Branson, N. & Whitelaw, E. (2026). Has Ghana’s educational expansion increased mobility?

MacGinty, H. & Whitelaw, E. (2025). Degrees of uncertainty: What is happening to graduate unemployment in South Africa? Econ3x3.

Branson, N. & Whitelaw, E. (2023). South Africa's higher education funding conundrum: Could the current funding system hamper social mobility and university performance?

In the news

Graduates’ upward mobility = Access x Completion x Returns

The African Human Capital Data Sheet 2026

Linked administrative data unlocks new insights about education pathways in South Africa.

Student success network set to build on 12 years of progress.

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