Past Directors
In Memoriam
DataFirst is proud to acknowledge and celebrate the outstanding leadership and vision of our past directors, Professor Francis Wilson and Professor Martin Wittenberg.
Their commitment to advancing access to quality data, fostering research excellence, and building a culture of collaboration has left an enduring mark on our work and on the broader research community. We remain deeply grateful for their service, vision, and enduring contributions to DataFirst’s mission. Their leadership continues to inspire our work today.
Professor Martin Wittenberg (1962-2024)
Professor Martin Wittenberg built on Professor Wilson's legacy, guiding DataFirst into a new era of growth and technological innovation.
Under his leadership, DataFirst expanded its data holdings, modernised its data infrastructure, and strengthened its international reputation for data quality and accessibility.
Martin’s passion for rigorous, accessible research and his commitment to training the next generation of data users ensured that DataFirst remained at the forefront of data services in South Africa and beyond.
- Read the tributes by Getrud Tonsing, Rae Voges, and Andrew Kerr.
- In Remembrance: Professor Martin Werner Wittenberg (University of Cape Town, Campus Communication, August 2024)
- Remembering Martin Wittenberg, Longtime Director of DataFirst (ICPSR Communication, November 2024)
- Prof Martin Wittenberg: a lifelong activist in service of a greater good (Daily Maverick article by Faizel Ismail and Kam Chetty, August 2024)
- Remembering Prof Martin Wittenberg, a humble unsung leader (IOL article by Faizel Ismail and Kam Chetty, September 2024)
- Professor Martin Wittenberg, 1962–2024, by Taryn Dinkelman & Andrew Kerr & Jesse Naidoo, 2025. South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 93(2), pages 141-145, June.
Celebrating the work of Professor Martin Wittenberg
On Friday, October 27th, DataFirst and UCT’s School of Economics hosted a conference to honour the lifetime contributions of Professor Martin Wittenberg to economics, and more broadly to quantitative social science, in South Africa.
Change in Directorship at DataFirst
In March 2024 Professor Cally Ardington took over the Directorship of DataFirst, succeeding Professor Martin Wittenberg, who led DataFirst with distinction for 13 years.
Professor Francis Wilson (1939-2022)
As founding director of DataFirst, Professor Francis Wilson established the foundation for what would become a leading unit for data curation and access in Africa.
Through his vision, DataFirst became a bridge between data producers and researchers, enabling evidence-based policy and fostering social and economic research across the continent.
Francis’s dedication to academic excellence and his unwavering belief in the transformative power of data shaped the ethos of DataFirst from its earliest days.