The University of the Witwatersrand has appointed Professor Tracy Gutuza as the new Head of the Wits School of Law, marking a new chapter for one of South Africa’s leading legal education institutions.
The appointment was announced by the School of Law last week, with the university describing Prof Gutuza as an accomplished academic and leader with extensive experience spanning academia, public service and legal practice.
She most recently served as Academic Director and Acting Head of the School of Law, while also previously holding the position of Acting Director of the Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS). Before joining Wits, she held positions at the University of Cape Town and the South African Revenue Service (SARS), building expertise in tax law and public policy.
She holds a Master of Laws from University College London and a PhD from the University of Cape Town. Her research focuses on business, finance and international tax law, with particular emphasis on international double taxation and the interaction between tax law and other areas of law.
According to Wits, Prof Gutuza’s vision for the School centres on preparing graduates for an increasingly technology-driven legal profession. She aims to strengthen the School’s role in developing lawyers equipped with critical legal skills, ethical leadership and the ability to navigate emerging technologies, while ensuring that its centres, including CALS, the Wits Law Clinic and the Mandela Institute, continue to deliver meaningful public impact.
As one of the country’s most influential law schools, Wits has produced generations of judges, advocates, attorneys, academics and policymakers. Prof Gutuza’s appointment places her at the forefront of shaping how the next generation of South African lawyers will be trained for a profession undergoing rapid technological and societal change.
