Thuto Thipe

Thuto Thipe is an Assistant Professor of African History in the Department of History at the University of Chicago. Her research focuses on 19th-20th century South African social and legal history, particularly land ownership dynamics in Alexandra Township. She holds a PhD in History and African American Studies from Yale University, an MA in Gender Studies from the University of Cape Town, and a BA from Macalester College.

Research interests include African history, urban studies, legal history, race studies, colonialism, and Black freedom struggles. Her manuscript Black Freehold: Landownership in Alexandra Township examines how black land ownership challenged white supremacist structures, prompting state-led displacement efforts.

Her publications analyze historical and contemporary land policies, legal frameworks affecting indigenous governance, and visual documentation of domestic spaces in Alexandra. Current work interrogates spatial politics and colonial legacies in urban South Africa.