Professor Phumudzo Munyai recently obtained a Y2 rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF). According to the NRF, A Y-rating is for young academics under the age of 40 who have held the doctorate or equivalent qualification for less than five years at the time of application, and who are recognised as having the potential to establish themselves as researchers within a five-year period after evaluation, based on their performance and productivity of quality research outputs during their doctoral studies and/or early post-doctoral careers.

A Y2 researcher is a young researcher who is recognised by all or the overriding majority of reviewers ashaving the potential to establish him/herself as a researcher (demonstrated by recent research products). Prof Munyai considers his Y rating as a good start in his long term goal of establishing himself as a nationally and international recognsied researcher in his field. He hopes to achieve one of the coveted senior ratings in his next cycle of NRF rating application. He also hopes that his NRF rating will serve as motivation for other young academics in the Department of Mercantile Law.

Munyai is an Associate Professor and the current Head of the Department of Mercantile Law in the Faculty of Law. In 2017, he completed an LLD in competition law from the University of South Africa. Upon completing his thesis, Professor Munyai became the first South African, black or white, to complete an LLD in competition law in South Africa. He received acknowledgement by the South African Competition Commission, among others.

After completing his LLD, Professor Munyai also spent some time as a visiting scholar and researcher at Leeds University Law School and the European Competition Commission. Over the past number of years, Professor Munyai has spent much of his time researching and writing on competition regulation of monopoly conduct and dominance in the South African economy, an area that he feels will be central in transforming the South African economy in the future.

Congratulations Professor Munyai !