Public Affairs Research Institute

What Public Affairs Research Institute does

Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) is a South African non-profit research institute headquartered in Johannesburg and affiliated with the University of Johannesburg, the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), and the University of Cape Town (UCT). Founded in 2010 with 11–50 employees, it conducts social science research into constraints on effective governance, institutional design, and state performance in South Africa and the broader Global South, and provides advocacy and implementation support to government, civil society, and academic stakeholders.

PARI's offering is organised around five research programmes — State Reform, Local Government, Just Transition, Land Governance, and Compact — which produce a diverse content portfolio of reports, working papers, journal articles, policy briefs, op-eds, podcasts (including 'Just Access: The Real Transition'), documentary series (including 'Surviving on Four Buckets'), and political cartoons. It also coordinated the Organisational and Institutional Studies (OIS) multidisciplinary postgraduate degree at Wits University from 2018 (Honours, Masters, and PhD levels), and convenes the Procurement Reform Working Group (PRWG), a coalition of civil society organisations working on public procurement integrity.

PARI's business model is non-commercial. It does not sell products or services; research outputs and academic content are made publicly available, and the institute is funded through university affiliations, government commissions such as the Government Technical Advisory Centre (GTAC), and development partners. Governance is provided by an independent Board chaired by Prof Mucha Musemwa (Head of School of Social Sciences at Wits). Direction is set by Director Mbongiseni Buthelezi.

Name

Public Affairs Research Institute

Legal name

Public Affairs Research Institute

Website

https://pari.org.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) is a Johannesburg-based non-profit social science research institute producing governance and policy research, advocacy, and academic programmes for government, civil society, and academic stakeholders in South Africa and the wider Global South.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Democratic Governance & Public Administration Reform (BPADAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL) (BPADAEAB), Higher Education Governance & Quality Policy Research (EDADADAI), Rule of Law & Justice Sector Reform (BPADAGAB), Environmental, Climate & Sustainability Standards & Reporting Cooperation (BPADANAI)

Keywords

• Governance research
• Public policy analysis
• Social science research
• Institutional reform
• Academic engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

PARI is an African research institute that conducts social science research into the constraints to effective governance, institutional design, and state performance in South Africa and the broader Global South. It delivers structured research programmes (State Reform, Local Government, Just Transition, Land Governance, Compact), produces publications and multimedia content, coordinates the Procurement Reform Working Group coalition, and runs the Organisational and Institutional Studies (OIS) postgraduate programme at Wits University.

Product overview

PARI is an African research institute offering a portfolio of research programmes focused on governance constraints, institutional design, and state performance. The core programmes cover State Reform, Local Government, Just Transition, Land Governance, and Compact. Additionally, PARI coordinates the Organisational and Institutional Studies (OIS) academic programme at Wits University offering Honours, Masters, and PhD degrees. The institute produces publications (Reports, Journal Articles, Books, Working Papers, Op Eds, Essays, Policy Briefs), multimedia content (documentary series, podcasts, webinars), and maintains the Procurement Reform Working Group coalition. PARI also publishes political cartoons and hosts the Urban Crisis Seminar Series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Organisational and Institutional Studies (OIS): A multidisciplinary postgraduate programme in the School of Social Sciences at Wits University focusing on the study of institutions and organisations within state-society relations
• Procurement Reform Working Group (PRWG)
• PARI Urban Crisis Seminar Series
• COMPACT

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The New School (New York)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2018PARI collaborated with The New School in New York to host a conference in Buenos Aires titled 'Rethinking Democracy in Africa and Latin America' in March 2018.
• University of Cape Town (UCT) - Graduate School of Development Policy and PracticecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2017PARI has a formal MoU with UCT's Graduate School of Development Policy and Practice (GSDPP), recognized as a UCT entity. PARI provides staff to coordinate and teach one block of the master's in governance programme, supervises students, and collaborates on research and joint publications. The master's degree is branded as a GSDPP degree in partnership with PARI.
• Wits University (University of the Witwatersrand)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPARI is an institute affiliated with Wits University, coordinating the Organisational and Institutional Studies (OIS) programme in the School of Social Sciences since 2018. PARI staff teach, supervise students, and operate within the university's academic structure. The institute has been described as 'attached, but not fully integrated' into Wits administration.
• University of JohannesburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPARI is affiliated with the University of Johannesburg, providing research and academic engagement alongside its Wits affiliation.
• National School of Government (NSG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPARI signed a memorandum of understanding with the National School of Government to work together to develop a programme focusing on African governance and building capable developmental state institutions.
• Government Technical Advisory Centre (GTAC) of National TreasurycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPARI partnered with GTAC on the 'Three Cities' research project examining governance evolution in three metropolitan municipalities (Nelson Mandela Bay, eThekwini, and Buffalo City) since 1990.
• Society, Work and Politics Institute (SWOP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPARI collaborates with SWOP on the Urban Crisis Seminar Series, co-hosting events with SWOP, GCRO, and other academic institutions.
• Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPARI partners with GCRO on the Urban Crisis Seminar Series, providing a space for scholars, researchers, and activists to share ongoing work on urban governance issues.
• University College London (UCL) - History DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrom 2022, the OIS programme works in partnership with the History Department of University College London, providing ongoing mentoring and assistance to current students.
• Wits History WorkshopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPARI collaborates with the Wits History Workshop, including OIS students receiving research fellowships in projects led by History Workshop researchers.
• Brown UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPARI hosted a group of Masters in Public Affairs students from Brown University in August 2018, providing an itinerary exploring Johannesburg's historical and political spaces to understand South African public policy.
• Ahmed Kathrada FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPARI co-hosted a civil society conference in October 2019 titled 'Defeating State Capture and Rebuilding The State' with the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation.
• Procurement Reform Working Group (PRWG) MemberscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPRWG is a coalition of civil society organisations including AmaB, Legal Resource Centre (LRC), Corruption Watch, Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), Earthjustice (EE), Environmental Justice Learning Centre (EELC), and Unite Behind. The group provides a space for analysis, coordination and collective engagement on public procurement integrity and efficacy in South Africa. PARI coordinates this working group.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• International Crisis Group: Global non-profit producing field-based research and policy analysis on conflict, governance and state fragility, with substantial Africa coverage. Compares to PARI as an established governance-focused research organisation, though operating at much larger scale and breadth.

Direct peers

• Afrobarometer: Pan-African research network conducting public attitude surveys on democracy, governance and development across 30+ African countries. Comparable as a non-profit, Africa-focused social science research organisation producing widely cited outputs.
• Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR): South African non-profit producing applied research on transitional justice, reconciliation, governance and human rights. Overlaps with PARI's State Reform and governance remit and shares the same Johannesburg base and academic-orientation.
• African Centre for Cities (ACC), University of Cape Town: University-based research centre focused on urban governance, informality, and just cities in Africa. Comparable to PARI's local government and urban crisis work, particularly the Urban Crisis Seminar Series and just transition themes.
• Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC): Civil society organisation dedicated to constitutionalism, good governance and rule of law in South Africa. Directly comparable in mission (governance and accountability research and advocacy) and target audience (policymakers, civil society, public).
• Good Governance Africa (GGA): Africa-focused research and advocacy organisation producing analysis on governance, accountability, and development. Similar non-profit think-tank structure and emphasis on research-to-policy translation across African countries.
• Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR): South African non-profit focused on violence prevention, transitional justice and socio-political research, including governance and accountability. Overlaps PARI's governance and state-society research, with similar South African civil society positioning.
• Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE): South African policy research and advocacy organisation focused on inclusive growth, governance reform and state capacity. Comparable non-profit model and emphasis on producing influential publications and policy recommendations.
• South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA): South Africa's pre-eminent policy research institute focusing on international affairs, governance and African development. Operates as a non-profit with similar research output portfolio and university-adjacent model, making it the closest direct peer to PARI in scope and structure.
• Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA): South African think tank producing research and policy analysis on governance, state transformation and development. Comparable non-profit profile, focus on SA governance challenges, and emphasis on publications aimed at influencing public discourse.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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• Facebookfacebook.com/parinstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/public-affairs-research-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/parinstitute
• TikToktiktok.com/@parinstitute?

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Public Affairs Research Institute