Caroline Ncube

Prof. Caroline Ncube is a Full Professor and DSI-NRF Research Chair in Intellectual Property, Innovation and Development at the University of Cape Town's Department of Commercial Law. She is also an Associate Member at the University of Ottawa's Centre for Law, Technology and Society and Co-Lead of the Open African Innovation Research (Open AIR) partnership. Her research focuses on IP law's role in socio-economic development in Africa, particularly in access to medicines, indigenous knowledge, and regional integration frameworks like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Education: LLB (University of Zimbabwe), LLM (Cambridge University), PhD (University of Cape Town).

Key roles include former Head of the Department of Commercial Law (2014–2016, 2022), Deputy Dean for Postgraduate Studies (2017, 2019), and advisor to the AfCFTA Trade and Industrial Development Advisory Council. She co-edits the South African IP Law Journal and serves on editorial boards of journals like the Journal of World IP.

Her work emphasizes balancing IP rights with access to knowledge, healthcare, and innovation in African contexts. Notable achievements include the Women in Science Award and contributions to policy frameworks like the AfCFTA IP Protocol.