Ronnie Donaldson

Ronnie Donaldson was appointed as a professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Stellenbosch in 2007. He has previously worked at the University of the North, Vista University (Mamelodi Campus), and UWC. He has also served as the head of department at Vista, UWC, and Stellenbosch in the past. With over 30 years of experience as a researcher, he specializes in urban and tourism studies and holds a C NRF rating. His current research interests revolve around culture-led urban regeneration, heritage conservation, and rural gentrification. He experiments with art-based methodologies in his research. He has an extensive publication record, including a sole-authored book on small town tourism in South Africa (2018), as well as seven (co-)edited books, with the most recent focusing on South African urban change three decades after apartheid (2021), and on socio-spatial small town dynamics in South Africa (2023). He has also published 130 academic journal and chapter articles, and has contributed to numerous consultancy and policy reports for various government institutions. The findings of his consultancy research have played a significant role in shaping spatial (e.g. small town growth potential in the Western Cape study), tourism (business tourism strategy for Stellenbosch), and urban development (assessment of the urban renewal program of Cape Town, cultural mapping) policies at various levels of government. In addition to his research work, Ronnie serves on several national academic and research committees, reviewing research proposals, academic profiles, and standards. He has also served as a councillor on the South African Geographical Society in the past. In recognition of his significant contributions to the advancement of geography scholarship in South Africa, he was elected as a Fellow of the South African Geographical Society in 2023.