UCT is home to the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance.  The school promotes the development of strategic public leadership with a strong emphasis on public sector reform, accountability and trust in governance. 

The senior manager executive training it provides prepares graduates for public leadership positions, with the long term goal of promoting peer networks and linkages between leaders in government and other fields such as business, civil society and the arts. Students come from across Africa, and presently there are 21 countries represented: Botswana, Swaziland (e-Swatini), Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

The School undertakes robust research in four streams – sustainable development, democratic governance, and public policy and program implementation; the fourth stream being Wellbeing and Social Cohesion, prompted by the societal impacts of Covid-19. 

The School recently completed their strategic plan for 2021-2025. Read the full strategic plan 2021-2025.