Jan Hofmeyr

Biography

In memoriam

The Afrobarometer network lost one of its leaders with the passing of Jan Hofmeyr, Core Partner director for Southern Africa, in June 2025. After joining the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) in 2005, he oversaw the South African Reconciliation Barometer, the longest-running African time-series survey centred on post-conflict social change. Thanks to his efforts, IJR became Afrobarometer’s Core Partner for Southern Africa, overseeing public-opinion surveys in nine countries across the region.

In his role as head of the IJR’s Policy and Analysis Programme, Jan conducted and managed policy-orientated research. He held a specific interest in the variables that affect social and economic inclusivity in transitional societies. He was a member of the Bertelsmann foundation’s group of international Transformation Thinkers and collaborated on the foundation’s Transformation and Sustainable Governance indices.

Jan was a highly principled, dedicated, and compassionate colleague who made a deep impression on people across the network. We miss him dearly.