Lochner Marais is Professor of Development Studies at the Centre for Development Support at the University of the Free State (UFS). He also holds an honorary position as an adjunct professor at the Sustainable Minerals Institute (University of Queensland, Australia). His research interests include housing policy, small cities in towns (mining and renewable towns and cities) and public health focusing on children. In addition to concentrating on each of these themes separately, he focuses on integrating them. 

Marais has authored, co-authored and compiled more than 200 research reports, including more than 130 refereed articles in peer-reviewed journals or books. These consist of 105 journal articles and 29 chapters in books. He has also co-edited seven books. Over the past ten years, he has been the principal investigator or co-principal investigator for research grants to the value of approximately R20 million.

 He has a specific passion for creating and managing interdisciplinary projects and prefer research that focus on real-world problems in the areas of housing policy, mine-community relations and urban health.

Books edited

Marais, L., Burger, P., Campbell, M., Denoon-Stevens, S., and Van Rooyen, D., 2021. Coal and energy in Emalahleni, South Africa. Considering a just transition. Edinburgh University Press: Edinburgh.

Marais, L. and Nel, V., (eds), 2019. Space and Planning in Secondary Cities: Reflections from South Africa. Stellenbosch: African SunMedia.

Marais, L., Burger, P., and Van Rooyen, D., 2018 (eds). Mining and Community in South Africa: from Small Town to Iron Town. Routledge: London.

Marais, L., Nel, E., & Donaldson, R., 2016 (eds).  Secondary Cities and Development. Routledge: London.

Donaldson, R., & Marais, L., 2012 (eds). Small Town Geographies in Africa: Experiences from South Africa and Elsewhere. Nova Publishers: New York.

Marais, L., & Visser, G., 2008 (eds). Spatialities of Urban Change. Selected Themes from Bloemfontein at the Beginning of the 21st Century. Sun Press: Stellenbosch.

Donaldson, R., & Marais, L., 2002 (eds.). Transforming Rural and Urban Spaces in South Africa during the 1990s: Reform, Restitution and Restructuring. Africa Institute of Southern Africa: Pretoria.

2021

Cloete, J. and Marais, L., 2021. Mine housing in the South African coalfields: the unforeseen consequences of post-apartheid policy. Housing Studies (Accepted). Indexed Web of Science. Impact Factor 1.882 (Q2 in Urban Studies). SJR: 0.749 (Q1 in Geography, Planning and Development).

Crous, C., Owen, J., Marais, L., Khanyile, S., Kemp, D., 2021. Public disclosure of mine closures by listed South African mining companies. Corporate Social Investment and Environmental Management (accepted). Indexed Web of Science. Impact Factor 4.542 (Q1 in Environmental Studies). SJR: 0.97 (Q1 in Development).

Marais, L., and De Lange, A., 2021. Anticipating and planning for mine closure in South Africa. Futures, 125, 102669. Indexed Web of Science. Impact Factor 2.769 (Q1 in Economics). SJR: 0.775 (Q1 Development).

Marais, L. and Lenka, M., 2021. Urban housing for rural peasants: farmworker housing in South Africa. Development Southern Africa (accepted). Indexed: Web of Science; Impact factor: 0.474; (Q4 in Planning and Development Q4). SJR: 0.31; (Q2 in Geography, planning and development)

Marais, L. and Twala, C., 2021. Bloemfontein: The rise and fall of South Africa’s judicial capital. African Geographical Review. (Accepted). Indexed Web of Science – extended list; SJR: 0.37. (Q2 Geography, Planning and Development);  h5 = 15.

Marais, L., Toefy, Y., Thomsen, S, Divan, V., Skinner, D., Mofolo, N., Lenka, M., Cloete, J., 2021. Targeting for male medical circumcision: Profiles from two South African cities. Aids Care (Accepted). Indexed: Web of Science; Impact factor: 2.191. (Q2 in Health Policies and Services; Psychology /Multi-disciplinary; Public, environmental and occupational health; Q2 in Social Sciences, biomedical); SJR 1.045 (Q1 Health - social sciences); H5-index: 37.

Sesele, K., Marais, L., Van Rooyen, D., Cloete, J., 2021. Mine decline and women: reflections from the Free State Goldfields. The Extractive Industries and Society, (accepted). Indexed: Web of Science. Impact factor 2.528 (Q2 for Environmental Studies); SJR: 0.66 (Q1 for Geography, Planning and Development). H5-index 12.

2020

Brown, J.L., Marais, L., Sharp, C., Cloete, J., Lenka, M., Rani, K., Marime, P., Ditlhare, I., Moqolo, R., Peterson, D., & Sales, J., 2020. Cultural consensus modelling to understand South African girls’ attitudes, awareness, and uptake of dual protection strategies. Journal of Adolescent Health, 67(6), 693-703. (Indexed Web of Science. Impact Factor 3.9 (Q1 in Public and Environmental Health). SJR: 0.649 (Q1 in Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health).

Gbadegesin, J and Marais, L., 2021. The state of housing policy research in Africa. International Journal of Housing Policy, 20(4), 474-490. Indexed Web of Science (extended list). SJR: 0. 431 (Q1 in Geography, Planning and Development).

Gbadegesin, J., Pienaar, M., and Marais, L., 2020. Housing, planning and urban health: Historical and current perspectives from South Africa. Bulletin of Geography, 48(2), 23-34. Indexed Web of Science (extended list). SJR:0.449 (Q1 in Cultural Studies).

Marais, L., Awuzie, B., Cloete, J., Napier, M. and Greyling, E., 2020. A tale of two markets: unequal access to the property market in a South African city. Tijdschrift for Economische en Sociale Geografie, 111(1), 80-98. Indexed Web of Science. Impact Factor 0.653 (Q3 in Economics). SJR:0. 549 (Q1 in Geography, Planning and Development).

Marais, L., Denoon-Stevens, S. and Cloete, J., 2020. Mining towns and urban sprawl in South Africa. Land Use Policy, 98, 103953. Indexed: Web of Science. Impact factor: 3.089 (Q1 in Environmental Studies). SJR: 1.387 (Q1 in Geography, Planning and Development); H5-index: 77.

Mirzania, P; Ozkan, N., and Marais, L., 2020. One technology, two pathways? Strategic Niche Management and the diverging diffusion of concentrated solar power in South Africa and the United States. Energy Research & Social Science 69, 101729. (Indexed Web of Science. Impact factor 4.771 (Q1 Environmental Sciences). SJR: 2.205. (Q12 Renewable energy, sustainability and the environment);  h5 = 49.

Penner, F., Sharp, C., Marais, L., Shohet, C., Givon, D., Biovin, M., 2020. Care and support interventions for children affected by HIV/AIDS: gaps and future directions. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 171, 77-105. (Indexed Web of Science. Impact factor 1.387 (Q4 Psychology, Developmental). SJR: 0.37. (Q2 Medicine – miscellaneous);  h5 = 19.

Sharp, C., Fonagy, P., Shohet, C., Givon, D., Marais., L., Penner, F., 2020. Learning to mentalise: a mediational approach for caregivers and therapists. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 27(3), e12334. Indexed Web of Science. Impact factor: 6.028 (Q1 in 1 – Top 10%). SJR: 2.22 (Q1 in Clinical Psychology); H5 = 27.

Low-income housing policy

Informal settlements

Local economic development

Mining and communities

Urban Health

Low-income housing policy

Local economic development

Universities and regional development