Working at the intersection of constitutional law, social justice and natural resources, Dr Hoitsimolimo Mutlokwa is the newest Postdoctoral Fellow working with Professor Hanri Mostert. Based in the Faculty’s Private Law within the DSI/NRF SARChI Chair in Mineral and Energy Resources Law in Africa (MERLiA), Dr Mutlokwa is working under Prof Moster’s supervision.

His research focuses on the governance of critical mineral resources in Africa, with particular attention to the role and obligations of the state. Alongside this, he examines the regulation of artisanal mining through comparative work and explores how labour law intersects with mineral and mining law. Much of this research asks a broader question: how legal frameworks can better reflect the realities of the communities most affected by extractive activity.

Dr Mutlokwa completed his PhD in Public Law at Koç University in Istanbul, where his research examined how local governments in South Africa and Türkiye pursue social inclusion through law and policy. While Hoitsimolimo’s current work moves into the extractives sector, it builds directly on that foundation. He continues to test ideas developed during his doctoral work, using comparative approaches and a socio-economic rights lens to consider whether existing legal and policy frameworks are genuinely inclusive.

Before joining UCT, Hoitsimolimo spent two years at the University of Free State’s Centre for Labour Law, where he taught and supervised across a range of subjects, including consumer protection, credit law and insurance law, while also contributing to research on disability rights and social security. Earlier, he worked with the Social Justice Coalition in Khayelitsha, supporting research on democratic participation and local accountability.

At UCT, this work now spans teaching on the Mineral Law Master’s programme, research publication, peer review, and public-facing writing. Dr Mutlokwa is particularly interested in how Africa positions itself in the context of the growing global demand for critical minerals - and how legal frameworks can respond to that pressure in ways that are fair and sustainable.

Dr Mutlokwa describes himself as “a constitutional law and social justice enthusiast”. That perspective continues to shape his work, particularly as he engages with the overlaps between law, policy and the lived realities of resource governance.