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Leadership   Back to Top

Jabulani Sikhakhane

Jabulani Sikhakhane

Editor

Jabulani is the Editor of The Conversation Africa. Jabulani was previously spokesperson for the South African Minister of Finance and National Treasury. He has also worked as spokesperson for the South African Reserve Bank. He had a long career as a journalist, columnist and editor on South Africa’s leading business and finance publications. He was a 2002 Nieman Fellow (Harvard University).

Millie Phiri

Millie Phiri

General Manager

Millie Phiri is an award winning journalist, academic and activist who has worked extensively on the African continent. She worked as a journalist at eNCA Africa channel among other media organisations in the region. She is a holder of a Masters degree and Ph.D from Stellenbosch University and University of Johannesburg respectively. She had a long career implementing human rights projects for journalists at Graca Machel Trust, Internews and United Nations.

Caroline Southey

Caroline Southey

Founding Editor

Caroline Southey is the Founding Editor of The Conversation Africa. Previously Caroline was editor of the Financial Mail in South Africa. Prior to that she worked for the Financial Times in London and Brussels in various roles over 17 years, including as World Desk Editor and as a foreign correspondent covering European Union agriculture and social policy.

Adejuwon Soyinka

Adejuwon Soyinka

Regional Editor West Africa

Adejuwon Soyinka is a 2019 International Emmy awards nominee, multiple award-winning journalist and editor, with over 20 years experience reporting for local and international media as well as working in corporate communication, political communication and media relations.

Assane Diagne

Assane Diagne

Francophone Editor

Assane Diagne a rejoint The Conversation Africa en tant que rédacteur en chef francophone en octobre 2022. Il était auparavant le premier rédacteur en chef francophone d'Africa Check, poste qu'il a occupé pendant quatre ans, de 2015 à 2019. Il a également ouvert et dirigé le bureau de Reporters sans frontières (RSF) en Afrique de l'Ouest de 2019 à 2021. Auparavant, il a travaillé pendant 12 ans à l'Agence de presse sénégalaise (APS), dont il a été le rédacteur en chef de 2009 à 2015.

Gary Oberholzer

Gary Oberholzer

Multimedia Editor

Gary started his journalism career in radio and television production. Later, as a founding member of Primedia Broadcasting’s digital content team, he helped develop digital strategies for their radio brands. His most recent work has included optimising different formats of content for distribution in a growing number of digital channels.

Julius Maina

Julius Maina

Regional Editor East Africa

Julius was previously managing editor of a number of Kenyan national daily and weekly newspaper titles under the Nation Media Group and The Standard Group in Nairobi, among them the Saturday Nation. He was the founding editor of Drum East Africa magazine and has also worked as a senior editor in Tanzania.

Moina Spooner

Moina Spooner

Assistant Editor

Moina has extensive online media experience as an editor, journalist and researcher. She has a BA in African Government and Politics and an MSc in Development Economics. She has previously worked for Africa Review (The Nation Media Group) and Mail & Guardian Africa based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Editorial   Back to Top

Anna Weekes

Anna Weekes

Environment + Energy Editor

Anna Weekes has been a journalist and media activist since the early 1990s. She has worked as a senior journalist at Sowetan newspaper, New Frame and as an editor at Pacific Media Watch in New Zealand. Anna holds a Masters in Philosophy (Journalism) and is currently a PhD candidate. She has also lectured in the Journalism and Media Studies department at Rhodes University and runs media training workshops for casual workers and community healthcare workers.

Aliou Niane

Aliou Niane

Commissioning Editor Francophone Africa

Aliou a plus de 10 ans d’expérience en journalisme, communications et traduction aussi bien dans le secteur privé que dans les institutions internationales. Avant de rejoindre l’équipe de The Conversation, il a été notamment journaliste au magazine hebdomadaire La Gazette, Consultant en Communication et Editeur de Documents Bilingue à IFC (branche du Groupe de la Banque Mondiale dédié au secteur privé).

Charl Blignaut

Charl Blignaut

Arts, Culture and Society Editor

An established arts editor and award-winning journalist, Charl started work at the Vrye Weekblad before creating the Mail & Guardian’s arts section Friday in the 1990s and, decades later, City Press’ arts section #Trending. He has worked as a news reporter, feature writer and critic; as a trainer of young journalists and of LGBTIQ journalists across Africa; and as a frontline and front-page investigative reporter, focusing on cultural issues and institutions.

George Omondi

George Omondi

Commissioning Editor, East Africa

George has several years of media experience, having previously covered several beats as a reporter for more than 10 years. Prior to joining the Conversation Africa, he served as an editor at the Business Daily, a national daily business publication in Kenya, owned by the Nation Media Group. He has written extensively on a variety of African issues, including politics, security, trade and the economic integration of East African countries.

Godfred Boafo

Godfred Boafo

Commissioning Editor: Ghana

Godfred Akoto Boafo is a journalist with over ten years experience in multimedia journalism. He has worked as managing editor for Pulse Ghana and Business Insider Sub Saharan Africa. His main areas of interest are politics, international relations and sports. Godfred joins The Conversation from Citi FM/Citi TV where he is a co-host of their multiple award winning Breakfast Show.

Kagure Gacheche

Kagure Gacheche

Commissioning Editor, East Africa

Kagure was previously the head of investigations, data and research at the Standard Group, a multi-platform media organisation in Kenya. She has more than 12 years of experience in communication, media and publishing, having previously edited business, lifestyle, politics and foreign news. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Leeds in the UK and an undergraduate degree from Daystar University in Kenya.

Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

Commissioning Editor: Nigeria

Kofo is a journalist with over 16 years experience. She has won many awards and attended local and international training programmes. A 2021 alumna of the U.S IVLP exchange programme, Belo-Osagie is also a 2021 Fellow of the Wole Soyinka Female Reporters Leadership Project; a 2017 Fellow of the Dart Center Reporting Institute on Early Childhood Development and the brain, Columbia University, New York; and a 2016 Fellow of the Kiplinger Program in Digital journalism at the Ohio State Universit...

Lyrr Thurston

Lyrr Thurston

Copy Editor

Lyrr joins us from the University of the Witwatersrand where she worked as communications officer in the alumni office. Prior to that Lyrr was deputy chief sub at the Financial Mail, South Africa’s premier financial weekly. Lyrr has also worked for the Development Bank of Southern Africa as well as the South African Journal of Science.

Nadine Dreyer

Nadine Dreyer

Health & Medicine Editor

Nadine Dreyer has more than 20 years' experience as a writer, columnist and editor in print and online. She has worked both in Australia and South Africa for publications including the Australian Financial Review, The Star, City Press and the Sunday Times. Her experience includes managing teams on big international stories such as the invasion of Baghdad. She has written on subjects ranging from politics and social trends to wildlife and the environment.

Natasha Joseph

Natasha Joseph

Commissioning Editor

Natasha worked as news editor of City Press for three years before joining The Conversation Africa. She has freelanced for a range of publications, including Al Jazeera English, The Atlantic and The Big Issue. After obtaining her Bachelor of Journalism at Rhodes University in 2003, she worked for the Cape Times as a general reporter before joining the Cape Argus as news editor in 2009. She is a former contributing editor to the Index on Censorship.

Thabo Leshilo

Thabo Leshilo

Politics + Society

Thabo is a journalist and editor with 30 years of experience. He is the former editor of the Pretoria News, Sowetan, Sunday World, and Business Times. His main areas of interest are human rights, politics, labour, transport and small business development. He is a past winner of the Sanlam Business Journalist of the Year Award (small business section). He was a 2008/2009 Nieman Fellow (Harvard University). Thabo holds a Masters in Philosophy (Applied Ethics).

Wale Fatade

Wale Fatade

Commissioning Editor: Nigeria

Wale was a reporter and editor with three newspapers in Nigeria for 22 years and also had stints in the development sector with some international agencies. A past winner of the Nigeria Media Merit Award, he is a graduate of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria and was also a Ford Foundation International Fellow at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, New York between 2004 and 2005, graduating with a Master of Science degree.

Audience   Back to Top

Judy Nguta

Judy Nguta

Audience Development Manager

Judy has a passion for digital media. Before joining The Conversation, she worked as a news and current affairs sub editor at Standard Digital. She was among the team that established its online news platform, having joined after graduating with a degree in Information Sciences from Moi University.

Usifo Omozokpea

Usifo Omozokpea

Audience Development Manager

Usifo is a digital media producer, social media strategist, manager and trainer, with over twelve years’ experience in digital media, community/commercial radio development, reality TV projects and public relations. Before joining The Conversation, he worked as the training manager for BBC language services in Africa and as the pioneer senior digital journalist (Social media) for the BBC Pidgin service. He is very passionate about using digital and social media as tools of development.

Partnerships and Operations   Back to Top

Anu Anibaba

Anu Anibaba

Strategic Partnerships West Africa

Anu manages Strategic Partnerships for West Africa at The Conversation Africa. She has worked in the hospitality, technology, and media industries for over seven years. Before joining the team, Anu directed and managed programs at Herconomy, and before that, worked on the strategic partnerships team that launched Google Station in Sub-Saharan Africa. She is a West Virginia University graduate with strong interests in Strategic Partnerships, Marketing, Program & Event Management.

Candice Bailey

Candice Bailey

Strategic Initiatives Editor

Dr Candice Bailey is the Strategic Initiatives Editor at The Conversation Africa, where she trains academics how to write for the media and works on science communication projects that creates awareness of the product among researchers and academics. Prior to this she was the title's Health and Medicine Editor. In her 20 year career as a journalist and communicator she has worked at several major daily and weekly newspapers in South Africa including The Star newspaper. She is currently a pos...

Lavani Balipursad

Lavani Balipursad

Operations Manager

Lavani has 18 years’ experience in office management, legal PA services and general administration. She has worked at a number of law firms including Bowman Gilfillan, ENS and Werksmans. She joins The Conversation Africa from a small family law practice where she established and managed all administrative and operational systems for the firm. At The Conversation Africa she is responsible for all office related management and administration.

Pfungwa Nyamukachi

Pfungwa Nyamukachi

Strategic Partnerships Manager

Pfungwa joined The Conversation Africa to manage stakeholder relations and drive the university partnerships strategy for Africa. She was formerly head of subscription sales for Africa at Research Africa, a subsidiary of a London-based Research Research (Ltd.). Pfungwa has a Masters in Administration and is currently enrolled in a Masters in Science and Technology Studies at Stellenbosch University. She volunteers and serves on the SA Board of Trustees for the Canon Collins Educational and Le...

Board   Back to Top

Beverley Damonse

Beverley Damonse

Board Chair of The Conversation Africa

Until end February 2023, Beverley was the Group Executive: Science Engagement and Corporate Relations of the National Research Foundation of South Africa (2011 -2023) driving policy and strategy development and implementation in the areas of advancement of research and technology, public communication and engagement with science, science education as well as corporate communications and stakeholder engagement. Beverley has just assumed a new role as Senior Advisor: Science Enterprises with...

Mandy Kort

Mandy Kort

Director

Mandy Kort is a Senior Financial Manager at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. Prior to this, she was a Tax Specialist at Deloitte until 2005. Before joining Deloitte Mandy worked in manufacturing and served her articles at an audit firm while obtaining her CA(SA).

Rob Moore

Rob Moore

Director

Rob Moore is the Executive Director of the Gauteng City-Region Observator. Prior to this, he joined the University of the Witwatersrandin (Wits) in 2006 as Director of Strategic Planning, before being appointed as Deputy Vice Chancellor (2007-2014). Before joining Wits, he spent twelve years (1992–2004) at the University of Cape Town researching and teaching in higher education studies.

Suki Mwendwa

Suki Mwendwa

Professor, Design & Creative Media

Professor in Design. Interested in what are the big questions around a contextual philosophy in design, in this case, Africa. Experienced Deputy Vice-Chancellor in innovation technology and partnerships for 5 years and three years as a Deputy Principal in Networks, Partnerships and Linkages, with a demonstrated history of working in the education management industry, partnering with the private sector and communities. Skilled in Analytical Skills, Program Evaluation, Strategic Planning, D...

Doyin Odubanjo

Doyin Odubanjo

Executive Secretary

Executive Secretary at The Nigerian Academy of Science & Past Chair, Assn. of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria ( Lagos).

Jabulani Sikhakhane

Jabulani Sikhakhane

Editor

Jabulani is the Editor of The Conversation Africa. Jabulani was previously spokesperson for the South African Minister of Finance and National Treasury. He has also worked as spokesperson for the South African Reserve Bank. He had a long career as a journalist, columnist and editor on South Africa’s leading business and finance publications. He was a 2002 Nieman Fellow (Harvard University).

Caroline Southey

Caroline Southey

Founding Editor

Caroline Southey is the Founding Editor of The Conversation Africa. Previously Caroline was editor of the Financial Mail in South Africa. Prior to that she worked for the Financial Times in London and Brussels in various roles over 17 years, including as World Desk Editor and as a foreign correspondent covering European Union agriculture and social policy.

Alexandra Storey

Alexandra Storey

General Manager

Alex has been involved in the non-profit sector for 10 years, focusing on general and operational management, research and programme implementation. Previously Alex has worked as a management consultant implementing large scale projects in the public sector, and in banking organisations focusing on building financial solutions for poor people in South Africa.

Founder   Back to Top

Andrew Jaspan

Andrew Jaspan

Founder

Andrew Jaspan is the creator and co-founder of The Conversation. He launched the project in Australia in 2011 and was instrumental in seeing it established in the UK and the US. The project was born out of concerns Andrew had about public access to reliable information amid a dramatic shift in the production and consumption of journalism internationally. Andrew has been Editor of The Observer, The Age (Melbourne), The Scotsman and the Sunday Herald (Glasgow).