Prof Ashley Gunter of the University of South Africa (Unisa) has been elected a Fellow of the Society of South African Geographers (SSAG), one of the highest distinctions awarded by South Africa's geographical community.

Gunter, Professor of Geography and Acting Deputy Executive Dean of Unisa's College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES), received the Fellowship at the 2026 SSAG Biennial Conference, hosted by the University of Mpumalanga in Mbombela.

The Fellowship recognises sustained contribution to the discipline and geographical community. SSAG records list 23 Fellows elected between 1995 and 2024, making Gunter the 24th Fellow recorded by the Society and the first from Unisa.

According to the SSAG Council, the Fellowship recognises "outstanding scholarship that advances the field of Geography".

Gunter's citation highlights his contribution to geographical scholarship, postgraduate training and the development of emerging scholars, as well as his editorial, teaching and professional service.

His research has focused on decolonial education, distance education and African development, alongside work in urban and development geography. A recurring theme across his research has been the relationship between geography, inequality, knowledge and access to educational and development opportunities, with a particular focus on African contexts and Africa-led research partnerships.

Gunter has attracted and contributed to more than R30 million in competitive research funding through projects supported by organisations including the ESRC-NRF Newton Fund and the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council, as well as European and other international research programmes.

The projects have contributed to research partnerships between Unisa and institutions across Africa, the United Kingdom and Europe, supporting collaboration around development, education and knowledge production.

Gunter is an NRF C1-rated researcher and previously served as Editor-in-Chief of the South African Geographical Journal.

His academic contribution also includes postgraduate supervision and the development of emerging scholars, particularly through research collaborations that seek to establish more equitable partnerships between African and international institutions.

These areas of work formed part of the basis for his recognition by the SSAG.

For Gunter, the Fellowship carries particular significance because it comes from the professional community in which he has built his academic career.

"This award has meaning for me because it comes from the South African geographical community in which I have built my academic career. I am especially proud that the work we have undertaken at Unisa around African development and more equitable approaches to knowledge production is being recognised."

The SSAG Council described the Fellowship as recognition of Gunter's "distinguished contribution to Geography and to the geographical community".

His election adds to his academic leadership at Unisa, where he serves as Professor of Geography and Acting Deputy Executive Dean of CAES.

It also highlights the contribution of Unisa academics to the development of Geography as a discipline and to research partnerships that place African scholarship and researchers at the centre of international academic collaboration.

*By Prof Ashley Gunter, Acting Deputy Executive Dean, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences