Daniel is a South African Rhodes Scholar, Allan Gray Fellow, and DPhil (PhD) candidate in International Relations at the University of Oxford. He holds three degrees, has four years of award-winning experience at the highest levels of student leadership, and serves as the Chairperson of the Oxford Climate Alumni Network, a registered charity and global alumni network of the University of Oxford, which leverages the Oxford alumni network towards solving the climate crisis. Previously, he worked with the One South Africa Movement (now Build One South Africa), directly with the former Leader of the Opposition in South Africa, Mmusi Maimane MP.
Daniel strives to improve prospects for sustainable and inclusive development in Africa through his research into the politics of international energy cooperation, investigating international electricity trade in Southern and Eastern Africa. Building on research from his MPhil (also at Oxford), he compares regional powers’ electricity trade in these subregions, both bilaterally and multilaterally via regional power pools. He has conducted around 100 elite/expert interviews across three continents for this research, which he has presented at numerous reputable industry conferences. His DPhil is fully funded by the Rhodes Trust, the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust, and St Catherine’s College. He completed three fully-funded degrees prior to his ongoing doctorate: a Master’s degree in International Relations from Oxford, an Honour’s degree in the same discipline from the University of Cape Town (UCT), and a Bachelor’s degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from UCT.
Concurrently with his studies, Daniel has provided research/teaching assistance to various academics, and he has served in multiple senior student leadership roles, including as the Social Sciences Divisional Representative at the University of Oxford and as a member of the UCT Students’ Representative Council. At UCT, he earned multiple awards for his efforts, which include building the University's largest student-run entrepreneurship competition (‘The Pitch’). His other extracurricular involvements include various sporting, musical, and service endeavours.
Research & Travel Grants
DPIR: Cyril Foster Funds; Alastair Buchan Funds; Latey Funds
Rhodes Trust: Murray Speight Research Fund; Warden’s Discretionary Fund
University College: Ferard and Leney Travel Funds
EnergyNet: travel grant for Africa Energy Forum 2023; travel grant for Powering Africa Summit 2024
