African Academics: Experiences, Strategies, and Effects

This section of our book and the narrative chapters that follow come with a trigger warning. This chapter presents the harrowing stories of family separations, bureaucratic run-arounds, and subtle as well as overt xenophobic encounters. African academics employ various strategies to navigate these challenges, from overworking to deliberately avoiding higher-level appointments. Despite their significant contributions, these academics often find themselves in precarious and isolated positions. The chapter offers a critical examination of the nuanced and often traumatic realities faced by African scholars, highlighting the broader implications for higher education policy and institutional culture in South Africa.