Prof Chijioke Nwosu is an associate professor in the Department of Economics and Finance. He holds a PhD in economics and an MCom in health economics, both from the University of Cape Town. He is a development microeconomist, with active research interest and expertise in health economics, inequality, and poverty analysis. His research spans health inequalities, health financing, and the health-labour market relationship. Prof Nwosu has published in many reputable journals, including SSM - Population Health, Current Psychology, International Journal for Equity in Health, and the South African Journal of Economics. He also has extensive teaching and supervision experience, having taught in South Africa, Germany, and the United States. Prof Nwosu has extensive grant-writing experience, having variously served as principal investigator (PI)/Co-PI/co-investigator for reputable organisations including the Ford Foundation, the Department of Social Development, and the Wellcome Trust. He currently teaches courses in mathematical economics and applied micro-econometrics, among others.

Prof Arno van Niekerk is an associate professor in the Department of Economics and Finance. He holds a PhD in economics and has more than two decades of experience in teaching, research, and community engagement. His research interests include economic inclusion, sustainable development, innovation, international economics, and global economic governance. He is the author of the award-winning book The Inclusive Economy: Criteria, Principles and Ubuntu (2022) and West to East: A New Global Economy in the Making? Achieving the SDGs (2025). Prof Van Niekerk has published extensively in accredited journals and books, regularly presents at national and international conferences, and contributes to public debates on economic issues through national media. His work focuses on advancing inclusive, sustainable, and human-centred economic development.

Dr Jacobus N Keyser is part of the Department of Economics and Finance at the University of the Free State. He became an academic in 2003 after working in the private sector. He has taught various economics and financial economics modules at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Dr Keyser holds a PhD, a master's degree in higher education, a master's degree in economics, an honours degree in economics, a higher educational diploma, and a BCom degree. His research and publications focus on finance, higher education, and political economics.

Dr Antonie Pool holds a PhD in economics from the University of the Free State and is a senior lecturer in the Department of Economics and Finance. He brings more than two decades of academic experience to his teaching and research, which includes time-series econometrics, cross-sectional and panel data econometrics, and labour economics.

Since 2019, he has served on the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) Ethics Committee, contributing to the evaluation of numerous research proposals and project applications from an ethical standpoint.

His research interests are multidisciplinary, encompassing development and poverty, the South African mining sector, agriculture, and health economics. He is presently engaged in a multi-year project funded by the National Institutes of Health 

Dr Cecile Duvenhage is a senior lecturer in the Department of Economics and Finance at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa. She holds a PhD in economics and has an extensive academic background, having completed her BCom, honours, and master’s degrees cum laude. Her academic career spans several decades (since 1995), including teaching, research, and leadership roles at both the University of the Free State and CUT, where she also served as campus manager and senate member. Dr Duvenhage’s research focuses on financial literacy, economic inequality, and education, with numerous publications and international conference presentations. She is also actively engaged in curriculum development, postgraduate supervision, and community outreach, contributing opinion pieces to national media and collaborating with industry partners. Her work reflects a strong commitment to student success, academic excellence, and real-world impact. She is a co-author and editor of the textbook Personal Finance (Van Schaik Publishers).

Dr Genius Murwirapachena holds a PhD in economics and currently serves as a senior lecturer in the Department of Economics and Finance, where he teaches courses in spatial economics, mathematical economics, and statistics for economics. He is a Y2 NRF-rated scholar, and his research interests encompass water and resource economics, urban and regional economics, and public service delivery. He has extensive expertise in advanced econometric methodologies, including environmental valuation, efficiency analysis, and panel data techniques. He is actively involved in research and postgraduate supervision within these fields.

Dr Eugene Buthelezi is a lecturer with a PhD in economics, as well as BCom, BComHons, and master's degrees in economics from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. His research interests include macroeconomics, public finance, fiscal policy, government debt sustainability, fiscal consolidation, economic uncertainty, and financial markets. He has published research in accredited international journals, focusing on topics such as public debt, geopolitical risk, and cryptocurrency markets. In addition to his research activities, he teaches undergraduate and postgraduate economics courses and supervises student research. He is passionate about advancing economic knowledge and contributing to evidence-based policy discussions that support sustainable economic development in South Africa and beyond.

Dr Calvin Mudzingiri is an NRF C2-rated economist, senior lecturer in economics, and internationally recognised researcher whose work examines how individuals, households, and institutions respond to economic, financial, political, and environmental risks. His interdisciplinary research integrates behavioural and experimental economics, behavioural finance, climate change economics, migration studies, governance, and development economics to generate evidence-based solutions for poverty reduction, resilience building, and sustainable development. A distinctive feature of his scholarship is its focus on mountain communities and resource-constrained regions, particularly in Southern Africa. Through his work with the Afromontane Research Unit, the Centre for Global Change, and Restoring Biodiversity and Connections to Nature in Southern African Mountains-SACHAIR, Dr Mudzingiri investigates climate vulnerability, livelihoods, migration, remittances, food security, natural resource management, and adaptation strategies in mountainous environments. His research explores how behavioural factors shape resilience and welfare outcomes among vulnerable populations facing climate, economic, and social shocks. Using advanced econometric techniques, experimental methods, and interdisciplinary approaches, Dr Mudzingiri produces policy-relevant research that informs governments, development agencies, academics, and community stakeholders across Africa and beyond. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1186-4109

Dr Regret Sunge is a lecturer in economics at the University of the Free State, with more than a decade of university teaching and research experience. He is an NRF-rated (Y2) researcher specialising in environmental, agricultural, and development economics. He holds a PhD in economics from the University of Johannesburg and has published extensively on carbon emissions, ecological footprints, agricultural productivity, and sustainability in Africa. His research integrates advanced econometric and spatial modelling techniques to inform evidence-based environmental policy. Dr Sunge has presented at international conferences and contributed to policy-orientated research with institutions including the OECD and UN-ECA, focusing on climate change, sustainable development, and economic resilience in Africa. https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0000-0002-5991-1146

With more than 20 years of experience in higher education, Lizelle Janse van Rensburg is a lecturer in the Department of Economics and Finance at the University of the Free State. She teaches undergraduate economics modules and guides postgraduate finance students in portfolio management and report writing. Her recent contributions include leading curriculum development for new economics modules, coordinating large multi-campus undergraduate modules, and representing the department on the Faculty Learning and Teaching Development Committee since 2023. Passionate about innovative teaching, she has championed blended and flipped learning approaches and actively integrates educational technologies and artificial intelligence into her teaching practice. Janse van Rensburg remains committed to continuous professional development, having completed advanced training in curriculum renewal, AI integration, and alternative assessment. Her student-centred approach focuses on developing critical thinking, practical application, and lifelong learning skills.

Jean-Pierre (J-P) Geldenhuys is a lecturer in the Department of Economics and Finance and holds an MCom (specialising in economics) from the University of the Free State, with more than 20 years of experience as a university lecturer. He currently teaches macroeconomics and time-series econometrics to postgraduate students in the department, and has previously taught macroeconomics, mathematical economics, and statistics to undergraduate students. His research focuses on labour economics, specifically earnings inequality, informal employment and aggregate labour market trends, fluctuations and outcomes. His research has been published in leading South African economics journals, as well as edited research volumes. He is currently working on his PhD in economics from North-West University. 

Nthabiseng Mukwevho is a junior lecturer in economics, currently completing her Master of Economics coursework at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She is passionate about teaching and committed to fostering student success through clear, structured learning resources. Her research interests focus on the socioeconomic dimensions of unemployment, with her dissertation examining gender differences in the mental health impact of unemployment in South Africa. Known for her collaborative approach and dedication to academic excellence, she combines strong pedagogical skills with a growing research profile that highlights her commitment to addressing pressing social and economic challenges.