Dr Caryn Abrahams is a Co-PI on the Johannesburg city team, which is the primary city of study in South Africa. She is a senior lecturer and research at the University of the Witwatersrand, School of Governance.

Her responsibilities are to offer an urbanist and neighbourhood cohesion perspective to the project. She will also offer support to researchers on the project from Johannesburg and author papers and think pieces of meanings of neighbourhoods, belonging, and urban governance.

Her research interests mainly centre on urban governance, particularly how local ward councilors navigate disparate demands from constituents. Her interests also include social cohesion, non-racialism and social attitudes, which are framed within research and policy on social and urban inclusion. Caryn also has research relating to food and informal economies in Southern African cities, and extends this work with a focus on urban food governance.

Caryn has contributed to work on anti-racism and is part of a growing network of academics, activists and policy makers looking at ways to reverse growing mistrust and racial hatred between people living in SA. Previously, Caryn was the head of research at the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, where she spearheaded its public debate forum, and gained expertise in research on the South African democratic transition, non-racialism and social cohesion.