Siphiwe Dlamini

The University of Cape Town, in collaboration with the Danish Institute for International Studies, is offering a fully funded PhD scholarship for research on Green Financing for Agrifood SMEs in South Africa. The project aims to build knowledge on how South African Agrifood SMEs access green financing and how this influences their climate responsiveness. The research is interdisciplinary, combining business, management, marketing, environmental science, and economics, and will be based in the School of Management Studies, Marketing Section. The scholarship covers a monthly stipend (aligned with NRF benchmarks), equipment, materials, fieldwork, conferences, and a fully funded three-month research stay in Denmark. The research will address four main work packages: the emergence and adoption of green financing norms, factors influencing SME access to green financing, climate responsiveness strategies, and project management and stakeholder engagement. The successful candidate will work on WP1, focusing on green financing norms and practices. Applicants must hold a Master's degree and submit a comprehensive application including a cover letter, CV, certified degree and transcripts, English translation if needed, grading system explanation, two recommendation letters, and a doctoral study concept (max 4 pages) relevant to WP1. Only candidates meeting the University of Cape Town's Marketing Section PhD programme requirements will be considered. The application deadline is 5 January 2026. For questions, contact Prof. Siphiwe Dlamini at [email protected]. Keywords: Green Financing, Agrifood SMEs, Marketing, Management, Environmental Science, Climate Responsiveness, South Africa, Fieldwork, International Collaboration.