Laboratory for the Economics of Africa's Past

Bringing together those interested in understanding the long-term economic development of Africa’s diverse societies.

Wednesday webinar series:

[Laboratory for the Economics of Africa's Past @LEAP_SU]

📢 Join us for the 10th Annual LEAP Lecture!

🗓 4 Nov 2025 | 🕔 17:00
📍 225 Schumann Building, Stellenbosch
🎙 Meredith Paker — “Understanding the Past with Machine Learning”

RSVP: [email protected]
#LEAPLecture #EconomicHistory #MachineLearning #Stellenbosch

[Laboratory for the Economics of Africa's Past @LEAP_SU]

🎓 5 Postdoc Fellowships at @StellenboschUni (3 years)

📍 LEAP & Impumelelo Economic Growth Lab 🔬 Economic History | Growth | Political Economy 🌍 Africa-focused research preferred 💼

Apply by 5 Jan 2026 via EconJobMarket
Info: [email protected]
#LEAP #PostDoc

[Laboratory for the Economics of Africa's Past @LEAP_SU]

The new season of Great African Crimes is on DStv tonight! 🎬 LEAPer Kate Ekama contributed to an episode on a murder case involving enslaved people.
Don’t miss it! 21:05 CAT on channel 186!

#GreatAfricanCrimes #History #SouthAfrica

[Hopkins Press @JHUPress]

Read "The Runaway Child: Identity Subterfuge and Employment Opportunity in an Emancipation Era Cape Colony, 1830–42" by Karl Bergemann at @ProjectMUSE

From the latest issue of Journal of the History of Childhood and Youth

https://t.co/OeFKoGK9DR

@shcyhome

[Laboratory for the Economics of Africa's Past @LEAP_SU]

✨ The LEAP team is at the Economics Society of South Africa (ESSA) Conference this week (8–10 Sept)!

Yesterday, LEAP hosted a special session, showcasing new research under the theme Economic History in South Africa Over a Century.

#LEAP #ESSA2025

[Laboratory for the Economics of Africa's Past @LEAP_SU]

📢 LEAP's Karl Bergemann publishes in The Journal of the History of Childhood and Youth!

#LEAP #EconHistory #Runaway

https://t.co/IR4Z5fTpCg

[Munashe Chideya @munashechideya]

Today, I presented at the World Economic History Congress (WEHC) in Lund 🇸🇪 on government officials and private enterprise in the Cape Colony — using archival material to trace power and profit in the 19th century.

It’s more than history.

#EconomicHistory #ImpactThroughResearch

[Laboratory for the Economics of Africa's Past @LEAP_SU]

LEAP turns 10! 🎉

From a tiny research group in Stellenbosch to a global hub for African economic history, it's been a decade of growth, grit & generosity.

Read more: https://t.co/OMmT1Jg0xE

#LEAPturns10 #EconHistory #AEHN

[Laboratory for the Economics of Africa's Past @LEAP_SU]

📢 LEAPer Kate Ekama publishes in Enterprise & Society!

Ekama, K. (2025) ‘Emancipation and the Business of Compensation in the Cape Colony’, Enterprise & Society, pp. 1–24. doi:10.1017/eso.2025.10077.

[Laboratory for the Economics of Africa's Past @LEAP_SU]

🚨 Call for Papers: Economic History in the Age of AI

How is AI reshaping the study of the past? This workshop examines how digital tools and machine learning are opening new frontiers in economic history.

Submit papers/abstracts by 31 Aug 2025 to [email protected]

#LEAP #BigData

[Laboratory for the Economics of Africa's Past @LEAP_SU]

📢 A new publication from LEAP's Karl Bergemann!

This publication signifies a notable scholarly contribution, indicating that the newly constructed datasets are now accessible to the public on the Harvard Dataverse and https://t.co/ulaqBCrEQb.

[YSI-EHES Economic History Graduate Webinars @WebinarYsi]

🔔This Thursday at 5pm CET, don’t miss our next #econhist session led by @gjmbrown (@LEAP_SU): The Persistent Effects of Bible Translations in Africa

📝With @FelixMzS1 (@UniUtrecht) as chair — great to have him join us!

🚀See you online!

[Anja Smith @anja_m_smith]

Thank you for the opportunity to participate! The discussions had an immense impact on me and I enjoyed interacting with everyone there.

[Laboratory for the Economics of Africa's Past @LEAP_SU]

Our Workshop on Disseminating Economic History at STIAS was a great success! Thanks to all the presenters, panellists & participants for making it such an inspiring two days of ideas, tools & storytelling.

#EconHistory #LEAPStellenbosch

[Laboratory for the Economics of Africa's Past @LEAP_SU]

LEAP's Karen Jennings publishes a new short story: "Practical Medical Advice for Female Subjects of the Cape Colony."

https://t.co/9xmKnjZzJs

[Laboratory for the Economics of Africa's Past @LEAP_SU]

🚨 LEAP Seminar alert!

Join us for our final LEAP seminar of 2025!

Chun Chee Kok (Monash University) presents his research, "Interethnic Proximity and Political Development."

14 May 2025 at 13:00 (SAST)

Please make sure to RSVP at [email protected]
#LEAPSeminarSeries

[Laboratory for the Economics of Africa's Past @LEAP_SU]

🚨 LEAP Seminar alert!

Sarah Ferber (University of Tübingen) presents her research, "The legacy of the Cape Colony's education system."

7 May 2025 at 15:00 (SAST)

Please make sure to RSVP at [email protected]

hashtag#LEAPSeminarSeries

hashtag#EconomicHistory

[Laboratory for the Economics of Africa's Past @LEAP_SU]

🚨 LEAP Seminar alert!

Youn Baek (NYU Stern) presents his research, "Missionaries and the Birth of International Development."

23 April 2025 at 15:00 (SAST)

Please make sure to RSVP at [email protected]

#LEAPSeminarSeries
#EconomicHistory

[Laboratory for the Economics of Africa's Past @LEAP_SU]

🚨 LEAP Seminar alert!

@NickArtFitz (London School of Economics) presents his research, "Mortality in the Century of Apartheid, 1940-1970: Spatial and racial health inequalities during the antibiotic transition."

16 April 2025 at 15:00 (SAST)

RSVP at [email protected]

[Laboratory for the Economics of Africa's Past @LEAP_SU]

🚨 LEAP Seminar alert!

Zhen Gu (University of Arizona) presents her research, "Immigrant Entrepreneurship in the US 1910-1940."

9 April 2025 at 15:00 (SAST)

Please make sure to RSVP at [email protected]

#LEAPSeminarSeries #EconomicHistory