Emma is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU), based in the School of Economics at the University of Cape Town. She is also affiliated with the African Center of Excellence for Inequality Research (ACEIR), based at SALDRU.

She recently submitted her PhD thesis to the University of Cape Town on the subject of inequalities in post-school education in South Africa, especially related to student funding, access, and success. Emma continues this work, contributing to studies falling under the Siyaphambili Project, which aims to build a hub for post-schooling information and research in South Africa. Her current work extends to poverty and inequality dynamics, with special interest in the nexus of education, labour markets, and the distribution of income and wealth.

She holds an MSc in Economics and Public Policy from the University of York and an MA in African Languages from the University of Cape Town.