The Founders' Medals

The Founders' Medals were instituted to commemorate the work of Professor HES Freemantle, Professor RA Lehfeldt and Mr CW Pearsall, through whose efforts the Economic Society of South Africa was founded in 1925. The purpose of the awards is to encourage research in the field of economics in South Africa and to recognise economic research of outstanding quality conducted at a South African university. All areas of economics are eligible.

An adjudicator (or adjudicating panel) is appointed annually by the Council of the Society. The adjudicator's reports and recommendations are submitted to the Council, who awards the medals.

Founders Medal Winners

Winners 2023
HonoursNokulinda Ngwenya: Understanding the impact of the informal sector on eocnomic growth and employment in South Africa: An emphirical analysis
MastersJohannes Coetsee: Inequality between whom: Geography, reference groups and protest incidence in South Africa
PhDKate Rich: Socioeconomic status, economic insecurity and the obesity transition in South Africa: generational and life course aspects
PhDLindokuhle Njozela: Standing On the Shoulders of Birth Intergenerational Mobility, Inequality, and Pro-Social Preferences
Winners 2024
HonoursRebecca Bruens: Counting the social class: The role of class imagery and subjective social location of preferences towards redistributive policy in South Africa
MastersSammy Pan: Worker flows in South Africa from 2008 to 2019: Evidence from matched Quarterly Labour Force Survey
PhDMichelle Pleace: Essays on gender: Imposter feelings, team composition, and pay gaps

Previous Founders Medal Winners

There is a submission fee for each entry, as follows:

Submission fee per submission:

Doctoral thesis: R1000

Master research paper: R400

Honours research paper: R300

Bank details:

Account name: Economic Society of South Africa

Account number: 6212 5954 281

Account type: Current (cheque)

Bank: First National Bank

Branch: Hatfield (Pretoria)

Branch code: 252145

NB: Please confirm payment details with the executive secretary via e-mail execsecretary@essa.org.za. Also, the banking reference should have a clear description, e.g. ESSA prize and name of institution.

Enquiries:
Kim Adonis
exec@essa.org.za