The Annual Rabinowitz Visitorship

Mr Benjamin “Bennie” Rabinowitz, Cape Town-based entrepreneur and philanthropist, has spent his life committed to the cause of social justice in South Africa. He has used his success to promote constructive engagement on social justice issues through the endowment of an annual Rabinowitz Visitorship at the UCT Faculty of Law in 2009 in support of the Law 150 campaign. The Visitorship was established with a focus on law, democracy, equality and social justice - and the aim of bringing leading lawyers to participate in the intellectual life of the Faculty over three or four days, including giving the Annual Rabinowitz Public Lecture.

The Faculty has hosted more than a decade of Visitors, including:

2020: Lecture cancelled due to covid conditions

2019: Justice Edwin Cameron

2018: Justice Mohamed Navsa

2017: Justice Sotomayor

2016: Professor Blake Morant

2014: Professor David Kennedy

2013: Associate Prof Clive Thompson 

2012: Professors John and Jean Comaroff

2011: Lord Lennie Hoffman

2010: Sir Jeffrey Jowell QC

Mr Benjamin Philip Rabinowitz - brief bio

Bennie Rabinowitz studied Law at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. He practiced as an attorney in Cape Town and subsequently became involved in several listed property and other companies. Semi-retired since 2005, Mr Rabinowitz has played a key role in a number of organisations, including serving as Chairman of the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. He loves all music in any form and supports many cultural, educational and other charitable institutions. He has also been actively involved in community issues and has led campaigns to stop the Oudekraal and Sea Point Promenade developments. 

He serves as a Trustee for the Cape Philharmonic Endowment Trust, The Ben & Shirley Rabinowitz Cricket Trust (in association with the WP Cricket Trust), The Mopo Educational Trust, The Cecil Rabinowitz Trust (at Cape Town High School) and The Len van Zyl Conductors’ Competition Trust from 2009.