The registrar is secretary to Council, Senate and Convocation and the head of the university’s academic administration. The registrar has overall responsibility for legal matters across the university and supports the executive officers, deans and heads of department across a wide range of internal structures and functions. The student admissions and systems-support functions report to the registrar.

Associate Professor Kathy Idensohn was appointed interim Registrar at the start of January 2025.

A/Prof Idensohn holds BA LLB degrees from UCT, an LLM from Cambridge University and a PhD in law from UCT. During her career, she has practised as a commercial attorney in Cape Town and London, been an academic in UCT’s Faculty of Law and at the University of Gloucestershire; and has held various professional appointments including two as Technical Expert and Legal Advisor to the South African Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry.

Idensohn was Deputy Dean: Undergraduate Studies for UCT’s Faculty of Law for five years before being appointed as UCT’s Director: Legal Services at the start of 2024.