Development Policy Research Unit

The Development Policy Research Unit (DPRU) is one of Africa's premier economic policy think tanks. The DPRU aims to inform economic and social policymaking by specialising in academically rigorous research into various socio-economic challenges in South Africa and Africa in general; their causes in areas such as education, regulation and governance; and the consequences of these challenges for poverty and inequality at the country- and regional level. The DPRU is a university-recognised research unit located within the School of Economics at the University of Cape Town, and has been actively engaged in policy-relevant socio-economic research for nearly 30 years, establishing itself as one of South Africa’s premier research institutions in the field. Through the application of economic and statistical techniques, our aim is to produce academically credible and rigorous policy analysis.The three core objectives of the Unit are to foster high quality, policy relevant research within the DPRU, train a new generation of research economists within the Unit, and disseminate knowledge to decision- and policy-makers in government, the private sector, and civil society.