Associate Professor / Professor – African Literary Archive

About the role

Nelson Mandela University’s Faculty of Humanities seeks a distinguished scholar to assume the strategic role of Associate Professor or Full Professor of the African Literary Archive. The incumbent will help revitalize the humanities, advance scholarship on 19th‑century southern African literary texts, and position the faculty as a regional and international leader.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and lead high‑level research programmes on the African Literary Archive, including digitisation and preservation initiatives.
• Collaborate with the Department of History and build scholarly networks across Africa and beyond.
• Deliver lectures and seminars across undergraduate programmes and supervise postgraduate research.
• Mentor emerging scholars, fostering expertise in multiple indigenous languages, translation, and archival methods.
• Produce scholarly publications in top‑rated local and international presses.

Required profile

• Established academic with a strong record of research and publication in African language studies, archival studies, literary or historical fields.
• Experience supervising postgraduate students and leading interdisciplinary research teams.
• Active participation in relevant sector networks and forums.

Required skills

• Deep expertise in southern African indigenous languages and their literary traditions.
• Proficiency in archival research, digitisation processes, and handling of historical texts.
• Ability to work across disciplines such as sociolinguistics, literary studies, and history.