Who we are
Built on a simple conviction: African-led research can transform our continent's future.
The African Research Society was founded in 2022 at the University of Cape Town on a simple conviction: African-led research holds the promise of transforming our continent's future. 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, developing partnerships and member-led initiatives that strengthen collaboration, expand research capacity, and produce knowledge that serves local needs.
Vision
The Africa we want: 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
The values that guide everything we do
Africentric focus
We place African contexts, challenges, and opportunities at the centre of research.
Interdisciplinary collaboration
We bridge faculties, sectors, and industries for well-rounded, real-world solutions.
Inclusivity & equitable access
We dismantle barriers so early-stage researchers get mentorship, resources, and opportunity.
Social progress through research
We treat research as a tool for practical, translational impact on African lives.
Integrity & accountability (Ubuntu)
We uphold responsible, ethical, community-involved research and collective accountability.
What “African” means to us
At ARS, “African” isn't confined by borders. It's defined by belonging, commitment, and contribution.
We embrace the diverse peoples and contexts of the continent and its diaspora: whether you live on the continent, descend from its diaspora, or dedicate your work to African realities, you belong here.
Governance
A registered, accountable non-profit
ARS is a registered non-profit organisation in South Africa (NPO 294-803, registered 31 July 2023), operating under the oversight of the Department of Social Development, and is incorporated as African Research Society NPC (K2025477702). It began as a UCT-recognised student society and is now governed by a Board of Directors and a Grand Secretariat.
Directorates of the ARS Grand Secretariat.