To introduce Dr Musiza to you, we asked her a few questions.

Where are you doing your postdoc (which professor / unit/ department)?

I am based in the Faculty's Department of Commercial Law, doing my postdoctoral research under Professor Caroline Ncube who holds the SARChI Research Chair: Intellectual Property, Innovation & Development

What is the focus of your work?

My work is focused on small and medium-sized entrepreneurs in South Africa and Zimbabwe, looking particularly at the marketing-related challenges they face. I am investigating the ways in which these challenges can be addressed through using collective intellectual property rights within industrial clusters; and I am examining ways to integrate industrial cluster development within SME policy to improve the collective efficiency of SMEs and improve market access.

Where did you do your PhD, and what was your topic?

I completed my PhD here at the Faculty, in the Commercial Law Department, in 2021. The title of my thesis is The role of trademarks and geographical Indications in advancing economic development in developing countries in Africa: an investigation into Zimbabwe and South Africa.

The thesis, under the supervision of Associate Professor Tobias Schonwetter, investigated the potential of distinguishing signs, such as trademarks and geographical indications, to differentiate the products of small scale producers to enhance market access. Using a case study, it identified the factors that limit small scale producers from using trademarks and geographical indications. It proposed legislative and regulatory changes to enhance the use of trademark and geographical indication protection, and recommended identifying strategic industrial clusters that could use collective intellectual property rights.

How does your postdoc work build on your PhD?

My postdoc research is a deeper dive into the subject of the thesis, ie. how small scale producers can use intellectual property rights to their benefit. I am also expanding the scope of analysis of small scale producers undertaken in the thesis, to include SME policy and Cluster policy of South Africa and Zimbabwe. My research now focuses more on the marketing-related challenges identified in the thesis, and specifically examines strategies that use only collective intellectual property rights.

What are you hoping to achieve with your post doc?

I hope to develop knowledge around the ways in which small businesses and other nontraditional users of the intellectual property system can participate in the system to their advantage. I am looking forward to developing new skills; particularly teaching and supervision. I plan to increase my publications to include interdisciplinary research, and to participate in conferences, trainings and workshops to broaden my knowledge and professional network, and to contribute to academic life at UCT.

Dr Musiza holds an LLB degree from the University of Zimbabwe, an LLM degree (specialising in Commercial Law) and a PhD in Commercial Law from the University of Cape Town. She is a lawyer licensed to practice in Zimbabwe, and has previously worked as legal associate at a law firm, focusing on corporate and commercial law. She is an alumni of the Queen Elizabeth Scholar – Advanced Scholar (QES-AS) and has worked at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Open African Innovation Research Network (Open AIR). Dr Musiza has published on various IP-related topics, and has consulted on developing sector-specific IP policies and designing appropriate legal protection schemes for SMEs.