Forty Years of the SAJE: A Bibliometric Analysis

ABSTRACT This paper presents a quantitative bibliometric analysis of articles published in the South African Journal of Economics (SAJE) between 1980 and 2023. Using a purpose‐built artificial intelligence–assisted dataset covering 1229 articles, the study examines changes in authorship characteristics, geographical affiliation, thematic focus and research methods over more than four decades. The analysis reveals increasing diversification in author origins, a growing regional African presence, rising collaboration and a marked shift toward quantitative methods, particularly since the 2000s. These trends reflect broader transformations in economics as a discipline and the evolving role of SAJE as a regionally grounded yet internationally engaged applied economics journal.