I am a researcher in the Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products (REEP) within the School of Economics at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

My research sits at the intersection of African political economy and economic history, integrating historical records with micro‑level survey data (both historical and contemporary) to analyse long‑run political and economic dynamics. Using modern microeconometric techniques, I study how political and institutional arrangements, and the legacies they leave behind, shape economic and social life across the continent, both past and present.

At REEP, I study the political economy and economic history of the tobacco and alcohol industries in sub‑Saharan Africa. My research examines how interactions between political and economic actors—both historically and today—have shaped the evolution of these sectors, including patterns of supply, demand, and the governance and control of these goods. I am particularly interested in the socio‑economic consequences of these dynamics, especially their effects on gendered outcomes and the lives of women.

I hold a PhD in Economics from the University of Pretoria. Prior to joining REEP, I was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Laboratory for the Economics of Africa’s Past (LEAP) in the Department of Economics at Stellenbosch University.