The National Research Foundation (NRF) congratulates its Board Chairperson, Professor Ari Sitas, for receiving the South African Sociological Association (SASA) Lifetime Award last night. Prof Sitas received the award at the SASA 31st Annual Congress, held at the University of the Witwatersrand under the theme Solidarity: Possibilities and Pitfalls.

Established in 1993, the South African Sociological Association promotes the discipline and profession of sociology, advances research, teaching and public debate on society, and fosters collaboration among sociologists at national, regional and international levels.

The SASA Lifetime Award recognises individuals who have made exceptional and sustained contributions to both the association and the field of sociology. Recipients are recognised for their long-standing service and commitment to SASA, as well as their outstanding scholarly contributions. Prof Sitas has been actively involved with SASA since its formative years, first serving as a Council Member in 1994 before being elected President for two consecutive terms.

Prof Sitas is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and an Honorary Professor at the University of Stellenbosch, with a PhD in Sociology from the University of the Witwatersrand (1984). A social scientist, poet, dramatist and musician, he held senior academic roles at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and UCT and served as Vice-President for Programmes of the International Sociological Association.

He was the principal author of the Charter for the Future of the Humanities and Social Sciences, and served as Chair of both the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences and the South African BRICS Think Tank. He was awarded the Order of Mapungubwe in Silver in 2019 for his contributions to social science, policy and creative work. 

The NRF commends Prof Sitas on this well-deserved recognition and celebrates his enduring contribution to sociology, scholarship, and the advancement of the humanities and social sciences in South Africa and beyond.