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Ruth Castel-Branco

Research Manager, University of the Witwatersrand
Ruth Castel Branco is the Research Manager for the Future of Work(ers) project at the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. She holds a MA in Development Studies from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (2012), a BA in Geography and African Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2005); and is awaiting a PhD in Sociology (2021) at the University of the Witwatersrand. Her PhD is titled, “A radical politics of distribution? Work, welfare and public works programmes”. It explores the meanings of work among the seemingly unemployed and the emancipatory possibilities (as well as limitations of cash transfers). Prior to pursuing a PhD, she was the national coordinator for social and maternity protection for the International Labour Organization in Mozambique. Her research interests include social protection, minimum wages and (informal) worker organising.

Worker organisations can survive the digital age. Here's how

Nov 15, 2022 16:42 pm UTC| Insights & Views Business

There is a widespread view that labour has become irrelevant as a force for change. The argument goes that the proliferation of digital labour platforms and the rise in job insecurity this brings means that worker...

Digital labour platforms subject global South workers to 'algorithmic insecurity'

Jul 18, 2022 07:03 am UTC| Economy

Digital labour platforms are rapidly transforming the world of work. Many governments in the global south have welcomed platforms that bring businesses, workers and consumers together, creating opportunities to reduce...

The Fourth Industrial Revolution: a seductive idea requiring critical engagement

Jun 09, 2022 08:48 am UTC| Insights & Views

Narrative frames are fundamental to unifying ideologies. They frame what is possible and impossible, which ideas can be accepted and which must be rejected. In her book, Digital Democracy, Analogue Politics, storyteller...

Economy

Trade War Escalates: China Strikes Back

In April 2025, the U.S.-China trade war leaped exponentially when China slapped a 34% tariff on everything America exports in retaliation against President Trumps tariffs. The retaliatory tariff is the exact thing the...

Mexico Gains Preferential Tariff Treatment from U.S. Amid Trade Talks

Mexicos measured response to U.S. tariff threats under President Donald Trump has paid off with preferential treatment and stronger ties with Washingtons trade team, according to Deputy Economy Secretary Luis Rosendo...

Singapore Criticizes U.S. Tariffs Despite Free-Trade Deal

Singapore has expressed disappointment over the United States decision to impose a 10% tariff on its exports, despite a long-standing free-trade agreement (FTA) and a U.S. trade surplus. Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim...

BOJ Signals Possible Rate Hikes Amid U.S. Tariff Concerns

Bank of Japan (BOJ) Deputy Governor Shinichi Uchida stated on Friday that the central bank may raise interest rates further if theres a stronger chance of reaching its 2% inflation target. His comments come amid rising...

Trump’s Tariffs Shake Emerging Markets, Trigger Currency Slides and Credit Risks

Emerging markets are under pressure as U.S. President Donald Trumps new tariffssome reaching 50%push levies to century-high levels, sparking fears of a global trade war and worsening credit outlooks. The move hits Asia and...

Politics

Trump Defends Marine Le Pen After EU Funds Conviction, Slams French Court Ruling

U.S. President Donald Trump has voiced support for French far-right leader Marine Le Pen following her recent conviction by a Paris court for embezzling European Union funds. The court ruling, which also targeted 24 others...

Myanmar Junta Leader Attends BIMSTEC Summit Amid Earthquake Crisis

Myanmars junta leader Min Aung Hlaing made a rare international appearance at the BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok, just one week after a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck the country. The powerful quakeMyanmars...

NSA Director Timothy Haugh Fired Amid Leadership Shake-Up

U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) Director and U.S. Cyber Command chief General Timothy Haugh was dismissed on Thursday, according to the Washington Post, citing two current and one former U.S. official. Deputy NSA...

Senate Confirms Harmeet Dhillon to Lead DOJ Civil Rights Division

The U.S. Senate, led by Republicans, confirmed conservative attorney Harmeet Dhillon as the new head of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division in a 52-45 vote. Only one Republican, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska,...

South Korea’s Yoon Suk Yeol Removed from Presidency Over Martial Law Scandal

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been ousted after the Constitutional Court upheld his impeachment for unlawfully declaring martial law. The 64-year-old ex-prosecutor, known for his hardline stance and...

Science

AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi Gets US Approval for Bladder Cancer Treatment

AstraZenecas drug Imfinzi (NASDAQ: AZN) has received U.S. approval to treat adult patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, a significant advancement in cancer therapy. The approval allows Imfinzi to be used in...

Sanofi’s New Hemophilia Drug Qfitlia Gains FDA Approval with Breakthrough Bimonthly Dosing

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Qfitlia, a groundbreaking hemophilia treatment by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi (NASDAQ: SNY). Designed for patients aged 12 and older with hemophilia A or B,...

FDA Vaccine Chief Peter Marks Resigns Amid Controversy Over Transparency

Peter Marks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) top vaccine official, has resigned after reportedly being forced out by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to The Wall Street Journal....

What are the chances an asteroid will impact Earth in 2032?

For a few days in mid-February, headlines around the world buzzed about the potential for an asteroid to hit the Earth in 2032 specifically, asteroid 2024 YR4. The chance of this impact rose to a high of 3.1 per cent on...

A new study reveals the structure of violent winds 1,300 light years away

The planet WASP-121b is extreme. Its a gas giant almost twice as big as Jupiter orbiting extremely close to its star50 times closer than the Earth does around the Sun. WASP-121b is so close to its star that tidal forces...

Technology

Nintendo Switch 2 Launches June 5 at $449.99 with Major Upgrades

Nintendo (NYSE:SWCH) has officially announced the launch of its next-generation gaming console, the Switch 2, set for release on June 5. Priced at $449.99 in the U.S., the highly anticipated device features significant...

ReliaQuest Secures $500M to Boost AI Cybersecurity, Hits $3.4B Valuation

ReliaQuest, a leading AI-powered cybersecurity company, has raised over $500 million in a new funding round led by EQT, KKR, and FTV Capital, pushing its valuation to $3.4 billion. Other backers in this round include Ten...

GlobalFoundries and UMC Explore Merger Amid U.S. Chip Strategy Shift

United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC), a major Taiwanese semiconductor foundry, and U.S.-based GlobalFoundries (NASDAQ: GFS) are reportedly in early talks about a potential merger, according to sources cited by Reuters. If...

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan Outlines Bold Turnaround Strategy at IntelVision 2025

At the IntelVision 2025 conference, new Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) CEO Lip-Bu Tan unveiled a transformative vision to revitalize the tech giant. Since taking the helm on March 12, Tan has prioritized customer engagement and...

OpenAI Secures $40B from SoftBank, Reaches $300B Valuation Amid AI Boom

OpenAI announced Monday it has raised $40 billion in a funding round led by Japans SoftBank Group Corp. (TYO:9984), pushing the AI firms valuation to a staggering $300 billion. This marks a major leap from its $157 billion...