Are universities Serving Lunch before Breakfast through Staff Development Programmes? A comparative study of the experiences of female academics in South African and Zimbabwean universities

Using a qualitative approach, the study examines the female academics experiences in academia and the hurdles they encounter in their career trajectories regardless of the Staff Development Programmes (SDPs). The sample consisted of two public universities in South Africa and Zimbabwe and ten senior female academics participated in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured face to face interviews. The findings revealed that indeed both universities had on and off the job SDPs. However, it emerged that both universities could still do more to ensure that the SDPs in place meet the female academics needs theoretically and practically through capacity building programmes and adequate human and financial resources. The paper recommends that adequate funding should be provided for the SDPs offered in both universities, identifying capacity building programmes to ensure that the training provided to the female academics will meet their needs and enhance their career mobility.