On 22 January, Prof Derick Blaauw and Dr Carike Claassen attended an ERSA (Economic Research Southern Africa) workshop in Cape Town, the title of which was: ‘What church records can tell us about economic development’. During the colonial era, there was a dearth of reliable information about the living conditions and economic circumstances of African people. However, Dr Felix Meier zu Selhausen from the University of Southern Denmark, who gave the keynote speech, explained that church records have often proven to be a rich source of information and have helped to inform studies on social mobility and related issues.

The workshop prompted fruitful discussions among the participants and Prof Blaauw and Dr Claassen plan to incorporate this new research angle into their work.