Richard Calland -- known for his work with the Open Democracy Advice Centre and Idasa, and a Mail & Guardian columnist -- is in Ghana for the Africa Cup of Nations on a documentary film project, along with co-producer Lawson Naidoo. Read their ob... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Alan Hammond is publishing editor of the Skills Portal, South Africa's most popular web portal for human resource management, training and skills development. When he's not trying to understand the inner workings of the national skills development st... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Alex blogs about politics and other animals at AFRODISSIDENT which was a runner-up for Best SA Blog About Politics and Best Original Writing on an SA Blog in both the 2008 and 2009 SA Blog Awards.
Alison Tilley is an attorney working at the Open Democracy Advice Centre as the CEO. She specialises in right to know law. She is a founding trustee of the Women's Legal Centre, and has a keen interest in gender issues.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Alwyn Van Niekerk is a systems architect currently specialising in identity and access management, having written, designed, and architected many large-scale enterprise Java systems. He has a keen interest in Linux and OSS and the current next-genera... read more subscribe to RSS |
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amaBhungane are the investigators of the M&G Centre for Investigative Journalism, a non-profit, public interest initiative to produce better investigative stories and plough back through internships and advocacy. On this blog, amaBhungane -- seasoned... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Amanda studied at Rhodes and nearly became a journalist but decided to sell her soul to the corporate whore instead. That's okay though, she loves advertising. When she's not keeping the world safe for sugar water and insurance companies, she likes t... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Andrea has been actively involved in local and international digital marketing since 1997 and has worked closely with key global companies on their digital marketing strategies. As one of the pioneering architects of the SA digital landscape, Andrea ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Andrew is an occasional freelance journalist, wannabe rock star, passionate father and general layabout eking out a meagre existence in the heartless landscape of commercial print. He is hoping that someone heeds his desperate call and he lands that ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Andrew Human is the CEO of The Loerie Awards. He studied materials science and engineering in the 1980s. He liked his academic years so much that he remained a student for 10 years and was finally given a PhD in order to get him off campus. In the 19... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Andrew Miller is a poet, freelance writer, satirist and brand consultant. He is the co-owner and co-founder of the Unity Gallery, a business-orientated art space based in the Joburg CBD. Miller is the author of the poetry anthology Hintsa's Ghost and... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Angus is the founder of Brandsh Media -- a specialist mobile and social media agency -- and is closely involved with Cerebra Communications. He is active in the mobile industry and sits on Waspa's management committee, the mobile VAS industry's self-... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Anja Merret lives in Brighton, United Kingdom, having moved across from South Africa a while ago. She started a blog at the beginning of 2007 and is using it to try to find out everything important about page ranks, traffic and all things internet-ma... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Anne has 17 years experience as a journalist, mainly spent working for newspapers in Joburg before she joined the start-up team of Independent Online way back in 1999. She has been hooked to all things digital ever since. Now based in Grahamstown, sh... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Anthea Buys is an independent journalist who writes about visual art for the Mail & Guardian. However, that does not mean that anything she says on this blog is said in her capacity as a contributor to the Mail & Guardian. She gets really annoyed whe... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Anton Harber is the Caxton Professor of Journalism and Media Studies and director of the Journalism Programme at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. Harber has had a long career in journalism, media management and the training of jou... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Anton Herbst is the MD of ACT (Advanced Channel Technologies), one of South Africa's leading IT consumables distributors. Overcoming obstacles with optimism and a smile is core to his business approach, and has accounted for the exponential growth of... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Ari Sitas is a sociologist and writer, a senior professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (www.iols.ukzn.ac.za or www.global-studies.de) and an adjunct professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi and at Freiburg University, Germany. He ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Ariel is an engineering graduate. He has never taken apart a washing machine or opened up a VCR. He studied engineering because he enjoyed maths and science... and because he wanted to know why buildings don't fall down, what makes car's drive and ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Arthur Goldstuck is a South African journalist, media analyst and commentator on information and communications technology (ICT), internet and mobile communications and technologies. Goldstuck heads the World Wide Worx research organisation, and has ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Arthur Attwell is co-founder and managing director of Electric Book Works, a company specialising in digital book publishing. Follow him on Twitter at @electricbook and @arthurattwell.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Azad Essa is a freelance journalist, lecturer and an aspiring filmmaker. He completed an MA with the Global Studies Program in 2005, spending semesters in Germany and India, during which he encountered a number of head-banging social theories explain... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Ben Cashdan is a filmmaker, and sometimes troublemaker, based in Johannesburg. The trouble mostly stemmed from a recent "unauthorised" film on Thabo Mbeki, which was taken off air by the SABC in 2006 (and finally broadcast 18 months later). On secon... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Bernard Allen is a freelance communications specialist, who is passionate about justice, logic, humour, the arts, and Guinness. In no particular order.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Bert Olivier is Professor of Philosophy at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. He holds an MA and DPhil in philosophy, has held postdoctoral fellowships in philosophy at Yale University in the US on more than one o... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Beverley is an unconventional, energetic and dynamic entrepreneur. She runs a variety of online start-ups and heads up an exclusive (no-name) agency that consults with businesses to solve online challenges. In her spare time she blogs on feistyfemale... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Bhekinkosi Moyo is an analyst trained in political science and currently based in West Africa. Before relocating to Dakar, he worked with the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (Idasa) and the Africa Institute of South Africa (Aisa). He is curre... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Brendan O'Neill is the editor of spiked, the "sassy, irreverent, UK-based online magazine of news and opinion", as the San Francisco Chronicle described it. He has been labelled "one of Britain's sharpest social commentators" by the Daily Telegraph a... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Bridget McNulty is a passionate writer fascinated by why people act the way they do. She has a creative writing degree from the United States, and her first novel, Strange Nervous Laughter, has just been released in the USA. She spends her everydays ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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In the real world Bronwyn is a freelance script writer, producer and researcher for radio, as well as TV and film documentaries. In her private life she indulges her long-term passion for home style, and keeps track of the latest developments in all ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Starting on the Rand Daily in the Seventies, Bruce spent over 20 years in print and digital media, several of them with the Weekly Mail/M&G. He was involved in the early phases of the Internet, producing the first online editions of the M&G.
Bryan used to be a doctor in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. To cut a long story short, he now lives in Ireland where he is a freelance columnist and post-grad student.
Carol Freeman is a political activist and women's rights lobbyist, specialising in issues related to violence against women, rape and human trafficking for sexual exploitation. Her experience in this field has given her a particular understanding of ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Catherine Parker is a South African living and working in San Francisco, U.S.A. Besides her day job as an online marketer for a Silicon Valley Internet company, she is also a freelance writer.
Charl Norman is the web entrepreneur and freelance journalist behind online automotive titles such as the social network Zoopedup.com and the country’s leading auto blog, carblog.co.za.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Charlene Smith is a multi-award-winning journalist, author and media consultant. Her latest book is "Committed to Me." She writes for newspapers and magazines in South Africa and internationally and has had 13 books published, one of which was shortl... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Chris Moerdyk retired as head of strategic planning and public affairs at BMW SA 10 years ago after not having succeeded in having a single affair in public. He is now a marketing analyst, whatever that may be, and semi-retired and living in Simon’... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Chris Maroleng is a Senior Researcher in the African Security Analysis Programme (ASAP) at the Pretoria office of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS). He joined the ISS in January 2002.
Christi van der Westhuizen is an award-winning political journalist and the author of White Power & the Rise and Fall of the National Party (2007). She has worked at Vrye Weekblad, Beeld and ThisDay and has regular columns in The Star, Cape Times, Th... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Coenraad Bezuidenhout does Parliamentary Liaison for organised business. He has a Master's degree in politics. He writes in his personal capacity.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Conrad Steenkamp is a social anthropologist and environmental scientist.
In 1976 he and some friends founded a youth group optimistically dubbed "South African Youth and Future 2000". He left South Africa in 1985 to avoid military service in the ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Dale Williams lives a portfolio life. Working to bring out the best in people, he invests in individuals and businesses where there is mutual benefit. Investment comes in the form of time, expertise or money and returns are expected, either financial... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Danielle Nierenberg, an expert on livestock and sustainability, currently serves as project director of State of World 2011 for the Worldwatch Institute, a Washington DC-based environmental think-tank. Her knowledge of factory farming and its global ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Darren thinks that in the world of The Long Tail, 'Niche is Nice'.
Actually, he thinks 'Niche' really rocks.
Darren is a fundi on B2B media, technology stuff, and does things like hit small white balls, jump off cliffs and out of aeroplanes, r... read more subscribe to RSS |
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David Parry-Davies is editor and publisher of the Enviropaedia.
After 20 years in the corporate sector, in the City of London, David decided to pursue his lifelong interests in nature and environmental conservation.
David Smith (sometimes he puts an « L » in the middle) likes radio.
He likes it a lot. He's not writing for Thought Leader as often as he'd like to these days because he's busy setting up an independent radio network for Somalia. Bar-K... read more subscribe to RSS |
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David Saks has worked for the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) since April 1997, and is currently its associate director. Over the years, he has written extensively on aspects of South African history, Judaism and the Middle East for lo... read more subscribe to RSS |
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David researches and lectures in the field of security studies. He has a particular interest in the development of original thinking in the security and intelligence sphere, believing that too much of our thinking is unoriginal and imitates Western d... read more subscribe to RSS |
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David Smith is a world famous artist and a British Olympic hammer thrower. He is a curler for Scotland and Manitoba. A pro wrestler fondly known as the British Bulldog. A Canadian economist and a Mormon missionary they call the Sweet Singer of Israel... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Derek Daly is a freelance journalist, semi-retired DJ, former cinema owner and part-time double-glazed window-seller. In 1990 he won the Cape Argus Award for Best Writer in a School Newspaper. He was invited to do record reviews, but his articles all... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Diane Awerbuck's first novel, Gardening at Night, struck it lucky. She now helps run a small publishing company (visit www.electricbookworks.com), reviews fiction and writes The Portable Pilgrim on www.extrange.com. She is an AW Mellon Fellow at the ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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People have an innate need and desire to communicate. Be part of the great conversation and join us as we discuss issues around blogging, social networking and cyber identity raised at the second Digital Citizen Indaba, held on 9 September 2007 in Gr... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Dion Chang is an innovator, creative thinker and visionary. He is a sought-after trend analyst, and while his feet remain firmly planted on African soil, he uses a global perspective to source new ideas, gauge the zeitgeist and identify cutting-edge ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Don Goodson is a Fulbright Fellow based at the University of the Witwatersrand's Centre for Africa's International Relations. He was born and raised in New Mexico but has also lived in Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Washington, DC, France, England, Botswa... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Ambassador Donald Gips serves as the personal representative of US President Barack Obama in South Africa. Prior to his nomination by the president, Ambassador Gips had a varied career inside and outside of government. Notably, the ambassador served ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Dumi works with people.
He does not like boxes, especially those that we like to slot others into in our heads. He enjoys watching people do their thing... whatever it is. He tries not to ever judge anyone, and does his best to take everyone as the... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Dylan Rogers is a freelance journalist and television producer. A Rhodes University journalism graduate, he has spent 10 years in television sports news, with his time divided between the SABC, ETV and international sports news agency SNTV in London.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Ebrahim Harvey is a political writer and commentator, former Mail & Guardian columnist, former Cosatu unionist and final-year PhD candidate in sociology at Wits University... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Elaine Rumboll was appointed director of the UCT GSB's executive education portfolio in 2005. A former performance artist, internationally published award-winning poet, blues singer and academic-turned-businesswoman, Rumboll has an eclectic mix of sk... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Erik Hersman is an international technology influencer with a keen eye on the impact of mobile and web technology advancements across Africa. Read his blogs at AfriGadget and White African.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Eve Dmochowska spends her day playing on and with the Internet, and thinks it is a rather fun way to make money.
She is the founder of Crowdfund, a crowd sourced fund to help local online startups get off the ground, and of the Geekspace, Joburg... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Professor Fackson Banda is the SAB LTD-UNESCO Chair of Media and Democracy at the Rhodes University School of Journalism & Media Studies. He has published in the areas of political communication; media sustainability; media policy and new media. He h... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Ferdie Bester is founder and MD of ClickMaven, a leading Internet Marketing company in South Africa. He's a reformed accountant turned marketer and loves the fact that everything online can be measured.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Ferrial Adam works in the environmental sector. She has worked on issues ranging from media and corporate accountability to radio astronomy telescopes and, more recently, issues of sustainable energy. The environmental sector has given her the opport... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Fiona Ross, born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, graduated from UCT in 1996 with a Bachelor of Business Science degree. She worked at Unilever in its marketing division, before joining Added Value Marketing Agency in Cape Town. She started Learn to Lead with ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Durban photojournalist Gavin Foster writes mainly for magazines. His articles and photographs have appeared in dozens of South African, American and British publications, and he's also instigated and researched stories for Carte Blanche.
Gino Cosme is a web & social media strategy consultant, a dabbler of things entrepreneurial, and a guy consumed by wanderlust. He's the founder of Cosmedia , trains, coaches and speaks on the local and international corporate circuit, and is often qu... read more subscribe to RSS |
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The human brain is made of atoms. Atoms consist primarily of empty space. It is fair to say, therefore, that my head is basically empty. That will please those of you who disagree with what I say until it dawns on you that your head is empty too.
In 2005, Graunt Kruger was a Nelson Mandela Scholar at the London School of Economics. He completed an MSc New Media, Information and Society focusing on innovation in developing-country economies. Last year he completed an MBA with Wits, during whic... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Guy Berger is a media academic/activist. He writes a fortnightly column at www.mg.co.za/converse and is active in the South African National Editors' Forum. He also blogs about teaching journalism and new media. Find his research online and micro-blo... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Heather Ford is a South African working for an international technology non-profit called iCommons that brings together activists, entrepreneurs and academics to work towards a free digital culture. ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Hennie van Vuuren thinks that the world can do with more leaders that follow. He is head of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Corruption and Governance Programme based in Cape Town. These views are his own.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Professor Hussein Solomon lectures in the Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria and is also Director of the Centre for International Political Studies. He holds a D.Litt et Phil (Political Science) from the University of South Afri... read more subscribe to RSS |
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I'm a journalist, I like persimmons, I'm good with directions, and people think I'm short but it's actually an optical illusion. ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Imraan Buccus is a university-based researcher in Durban. He is also a PhD Research Fellow at the Centre for International Development Issues, Radboud University, Nijmegen in The Netherlands. Imraan is the editor of Critical Dialogue, a journal on pu... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Israel Rafalovich is a journalist and analyst based in The Hague, The Netherlands. He covers European affairs and writes a weekly column on international relations.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Ivo Vegter writes and argues for fun and profit. He is a columnist, magazine journalist and apprentice model shipwright. In his spare time, he helps run a research company. He specialises in the tech and telecoms industries, but keeps a blog on polit... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Janice Winter is programme manager of the Axess Programme on Journalism and Democracy and has recently graduated with an MPhil in development studies from the University of Oxford, receiving a distinction for research on victims of political violence... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Jarred Cinman is software director at Cambrient, South Africa's leading developer of web applications. He co-founded Johannesburg's first professional web development company and was one of the founders of VWV Interactive, for many years the premier ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Having spent the first half of his life in Swaziland, Jason now teaches courses in African studies at the University of Virginia while working on his doctoral dissertation in anthropology. His interests lie primarily in the South African labour movem... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Jaxon Rice is a developer at Soup Consulting. By night he is the lead singer for a rockabilly band called the Diesel Whores. He blogs at http://jaxonrice.com.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Jennifer is a young feminist, activist and advocate for women's rights.
She is a big fan of debate and discussion, and always keen for a good constructive argument. Her interests like with all issues relating to the body and to the many ways that... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Jenny Goodrick is a wife, mother, registered physiotherapist and a freelance columnist. Before moving to Australia, she was a columnist for The Mercury (Independent Newspapers) and Avusa Media Eastern Cape.
Jeremiah Kure is a professional working in the corporate governance arena, based in Johannesburg. He is the founder of the Heights We Must Climb movement and a firm believer in a progressive Africa; an Africa not tied to her stereotyped past but one ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Jocelyn Newmarch is an indecisive, opinionated and lazy hedonist. She enjoys reading up on obscure trivia, cooking vegetarian food and finding new injustices to be indignant about. She lost her work ethic several years ago and is still searching for ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Joe Makhafola spent the better part of his post-matric as a radio producer, presenter, a researcher for a current affairs television programme on SABC and a short stint as freelance journalist.
John is a blog novice who types really slowly, which generally keeps his thoughts short! He’s currently the MD of Virgin Money South Africa, but has in the past been at the helm of a few financial service businesses, managed a couple of turnarounds... read more subscribe to RSS |
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John Vlismas is a former hell-raising, fall-down drunk and alternative stand-up comedian. Apart from collecting body art and practising parenting, he scuba dives and apparently "goes like the clappers" on a good day. Vlismas is an award-winning anti-... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Jon is a Mason Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and was recently awarded the Gundle South Africa Public Service Fellowship. As well as participating in the Mason Program, he is studying for a Masters Degree in Public Administration ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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In 1993, Jonathan Ancer cut his hair, took out his earrings and began compiling research on South Africa's right wing for the Independent Board of Inquiry into Informal Repression. Two years later, he completed a postgraduate journalism diploma at Rh... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Jonty Fisher is a born marketer and a frustrated political pseudo-journo. He owns the integrated marketing agency, Traffic Integrated Marketing, as well as media company Mediaweb Online. He also authors the political commentary site, The Fishbowl.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Kanthan Pillay is MD & CEO of the Yired group of companies (including 99.2 Yfm -- 'GP's hottest frequency'), and chairman of the board of McCann Worldgroup South Africa.
Khaya Dlanga* By day he perpetuates the evils of capitalism by making consumers feel insecure (he makes ads). For this he has been rewarded with numerous Loerie awards, Cannes Gold, several Eagle awards and a Black Eagle.
Kheepe Moremi is the chief executive of Nett Effect Ventures (a strategy facilitation, strategic due diligence, turnaround advisory and investment services firm) and former executive committee member of FNB Commercial Banking and head of strategy and... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Kimani Chege is a science journalist who is currently trying to settle well in Nairobi after a sabbatical leave of one year in the US attending the Knight science Journalism Fellowship. He believes science and pleasure can mix.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Koos Kombuis is an Afrikaans columnist, bilingual author and retired rock musician. In spite of his numerous attempts to settle down and conform, his career has been dogged by controversy ever since he was banned from performing his anti-apartheid so... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Kristin Palitza is an award-winning, independent journalist, editor, media consultant and trainer. She is writing in-depth African features for the South African, German and UK print media and has worked within the newspaper, news service, online and... read more subscribe to RSS |
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La Chica Grande is a peace-loving Africaphile who plans to spearhead a campaign to legalise polyandry. She likes books, horses, dark chocolate and men (in that order).... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Lev David is a writer and creative consultant living in Jozi, South Africa. He works with grown-ups to help them create conversations that change things.
Lihle Tshabalala is a young, former Mail & Guardian journalist who has also had a short-lived stint in broadcast journalism working for eNews Africa. Lihle has been part of life-changing events like the ANC's Polokwane conference and slept in ref... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Lisa van Wyk is the editor of The Guide and the Mail & Guardian art and entertainment listings. She has managed to convince herself that jumping up and down at gigs counts as adequate exercise, and that eating peanut butter out of the jar when sh... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Professor Lizette Rabe holds a DPhil degree from Stellenbosch University and is professor and chair of the department of journalism -- the first woman to hold this position.
Llew is the CEO of KeyJam.net, which specialises in corporate training that builds in-house web-commerce competencies and consults around contextualising developments in the web environment and its associated technologies. He was co-founder, head of ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Lloyd Gedye is a journalist at the Mail & Guardian who tends to focus on business matters and music in that order. When he wasn't allowed to include his music blog [www.isolation.tv] in Thought Leader, he decided he'll just have to start writing ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Lucky Ntuli is a father of two boys and one girl. He grew up in Emndeni, Soweto. He yearns for the day boerewors will be available in all butcheries around the world and biltong will be accepted as the global standard for all dried meat.
This is the Mail & Guardian Online's Talkback blog, where every week we post a tough question about a hot topic in the news. Answer it, debate with others and have fun!... read more subscribe to RSS |
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The Community of Mandela Rhodes Scholars comprises recipients of the Mandela Rhodes scholarship. It is a diverse and interesting group of people, with students from various backgrounds, fields of study and areas of interest. Their one commonality is ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Mandy de Waal is a columnist, writer and journalist. A former broadcast journalist, de Waal is writes for The Daily Maverick, Noseweek, ITWeb, MarkLives, Brandchannel and MarkMagazine. She is the editor of MandyLives!com. She is part of the judging p... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Marius Redelinghuys is a 20-something "Alternative Afrikaner" who, having obtained a post-graduate degree in political science at the University of Pretoria as a Mandela Rhodes Scholar (which has made him fortunate enough to be the only member of his... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Matthew Buckland is the GM of the Mail & Guardian Online and co-founder of award-winning blog aggregator amatomu.com and editorial blog Thought Leader. He has worked in the online medium all his working life literally from its inception in South ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Max is a modern day muse to brilliant individuals, a social entrepreneur in the development of expert learning communities and people weaver.
She surrounds herself with fearless pioneers from various disciplines, in business, academia and culture, s... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Extra-time! is a blog by international humanitarian medical organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) staff and field workers during the Fifa World Cup in SA from June 7 to July 14 2010. It's an alternate view on the World Cup and shares the positi... read more subscribe to RSS |
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I am a cultural anthropologist at Athabasca University who writes about ethnicity, identity and social change in a globalised Southern Africa. I am fascinated by the way in which people find and create their 'identity' in this rapidly changing world... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Michelle Atagana is a PhD student attempting a social experiment on better yet economical filmmaking using the Nigerian filmmaking industry as the subject. She hopes to document her findings in a documentary, she is at the University of KwaZulu-Natal... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Michael Baillie, 26, is a recent graduate working his first job in the media industry. He believes that political action is a personal responsibility and that waiting around for government to bring change is futile.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Miriam Mannak -- a Kaaskop by birth and a global nomad by nature -- moved to South Africa in 2004. What was supposed to be a six-month casual fling grew to become a long-lasting love liaison with a country that has captured her heart, soul, mind, and... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Mncedisi Mashigoane holds an MA in English (UCT) and PGrad Dipl in journalism (Rhodes). He is currently pursuing a PhD in media studies at Wits where he also lectures film and television studies.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Mohamed Nanabhay is the Head of New Media at the AlJazeera Network based in Doha, Qatar. He joined Al Jazeera in 2004 and is currently managing a team that is focused on engaging audiences through online communities and emerging technologies. ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Mpho Maboi is a young woman who believes that the youth of South Africa have much business potential but are at the moment bogged down by their obsession with impressing their peers and are therefore stuck in the corporate rat race. In her spare time... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Nastasya Tay is a freelance writer, currently working at the Associated Press.
In South Africa, she has managed communications for CIVICUS, the international civil society alliance, and the Reproductive Health & HIV Research Unit in Hillbrow. In ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Once upon a time, Ndumiso Ngcobo used to be an intelligent, relevant man with a respectable (read: boring-as-crap) job which funded his extensive beer habit.
Life in South Africa is fascinating. From the suburbs to the townships to the city centres.
Having lived overseas for 8 years, Nicky returned to SA and has never looked back. She works as an economist, and has done her time at Dun & Bradstreet, the... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Nicole edits the Mail & Guardian's development section and runs the newsroom training programme. She's a vegetarian who doesn't really like vegetables, a pacifist who practises martial arts to channel her aggression, a rationalist who firmly beli... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Nimrod Zalk is Chief Director of Industrial Policy at the Department of Trade and Industry who studied economics at the School of Oriental and African Studies. He is (probably unhealthily) obsessed with issues of economic development and industriali... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Onkgopotse JJ Tabane is the political adviser to Cope's parliamentary leader. He writes in his personal capacity.
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Patricia de Lille, the president of the Independent Democrats, has been active in politics for a quarter of a century. She is known for her role as a trade unionist in the struggle and as the initial whistle-blower on the infamous arms-deal corruptio... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Paul McNally is the winner of a CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Award and a MPSA Pica for Public Interest Writer of the Year. He is a freelance journalist living in Cape Town.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Paul Ngobeni was born and raised in Lydenburg, Mpumalanga, South Africa. He graduated with a BA (magna cum laude) from Hamilton College, New York and Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from New York University School of Law. He is currently employed as a... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Percy Zvomuya is a reporter at the Mail & Guardian. His interests are Africa, books and football, with his favourite teams being Arsenal, AC Milan and Orlando Pirates.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Peter van der Merwe is a writer, journalist, inveterate media junkie and a keen student of people and how they see the world. He spends too much time feeding the belly of the corporate beast and too little time sitting in coffee shops, watching the w... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Professor Pierre de Vos teaches constitutional law at the University of Western Cape. His writing has been published widely in both scholarly journals and in the popular press on a wide range of topics, including gay rights, the right to equality, so... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Primarashni Gower is co-editor of the Mail & Guardian's Higher Learning publication, which she helped establish with colleague Cornia Pretorius. She is also editor of Campus Times, a national publication owned by M&G Ventures. She has worked ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Rams Mabote has had four careers. He started as a journalist, moved to entrepreneurship, then became a spin doctor and now he is a banker. Nowadays, he writes mostly on golf and has been trying hard to complete a book on BEE and another on President ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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On our Reader Blog, we invite Thought Leader readers to submit one-off contributions to share their opinions on politics, news, sport, business, technology, the arts or any other field of interest.
A journalist for more than two decades, Reg Rumney is the head of the Centre for Economics Journalism in Africa, whose aim is to improve the quality of business, finance and economics journalism. He brings to the task wide-ranging experience in busin... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Riaan Wolmarans is the editor, reader liaison, spell checker, general mechanic, morale officer and journalist at large of the Mail & Guardian Online.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Richard Calland is a political analyst and constitutional lawyer, as well as a columnist for the Mail & Guardian -- Contretemps has appeared regularly since 2001. He jointly runs a niche film production company, 3PLAY Productions, which focuses o... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Robert Brand teaches media law, ethics and economics journalism at Rhodes University. Before joining academia, he worked as a journalist for the Pretoria News, the Star and Bloomberg News.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Robin Booth is a qualified life and executive coach, a school principal, an international keynote speaker, seminar leader and trainer as well as the SyEDgy Schooling Approach founding principal. He specialises in mentoring other coaches, teachers, te... read more subscribe to RSS |
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CRACKING CHINA was previously the title of this blog. That title was used as the name for Rod MacKenzie's second book, Cracking China: a memoir of our first three years in China, which is now available at Exclusive Books and other good bookstores. IS... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Rodrigo Orihuela is a South African-born Argentine journalist based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he is an online editor for the newspaper Perfil. He has worked for the Financial Times, Reuters and the Buenos Aires Herald, where he still reviews ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Roger Young has at various times been a filmmaker, fashion photographer, street junkie and live music event organiser. He is currently developing a script about the difficulties of reconcilliation and is deputy editor on mahala.co.za... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Ronald Suresh Roberts is the author of Clarence Thomas and the Tough Love Crowd: Counterfeit Heroes and Unhappy Truths (New York University Press, 1995), Reconciliation Through Truth: A Reckoning of Apartheid's Criminal Governance (with Kader and Lou... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Roy Jobson is a medical doctor and 'educator of adults' who teaches pharmacology to pharmacy students at Rhodes University. He is a vicarious observer of South African society through his association with the Khulumani Support Group -- his wife is th... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Guitarist and manager of Cape Town-based Ashtray Electric. After giving mechanical engineering (cause that’s what they said he should do) a short stint, he was an industrial designer for two years. Which somehow led to a BA in creative brand commun... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Ryland Fisher is former editor of the Cape Times and author of the book Race. This is his second book, following on Making the Media Work for You, which was published in 2002. He is executive chairperson of the Cape Town Festival, which he initiated ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Sandile Memela grew up in Soweto where he was groomed to live 'the life of the mind.'
He believes in freedom of expression and respects the right of those who do not agree with him.
He has worked as an editor, journalist, columnist and advertising ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Sanjeev runs the emerging markets business for Sanlam Investments and is a well-known and outspoken commentator on issues related to emerging markets. He is based in Dubai and his key focus areas include driving and supporting the Sanlam Investments'... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Sarah Britten has written three books on South African insults. During the day she is a communication strategist in the ad industry; by night she writes books and blog entries. It helps to have insomnia.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Sello S Alcock is the journalist formerly known as Sello Selebi who is still undergoing a transformation after being heavily teased about sharing a name and surname with former police National Commissioner Jacob. He maintains that Don Jackie is an ac... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Sentletse Diakanyo's blogs may contain views on any subject which may upset sensitive readers. Parental Guidance is strongly adviced. He is not a journalist and his readers should not unreasonably expect balanced articles.
Moegamat Shareef Blankenberg is a happy chappie who like to open a can of worms and create controversy. He is at his best if he can sit in a dark room and dream up some conspiracy (most noticeably, where do you think the McCarthy tapes came from?)
I... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Shaun de Waal was the M&G's literary editor from 1991 to 2005 and has been its chief film critic since 1998. His recent publications include Pride: Protest and Celebration and To Have and to Hold: The Making of Same-Sex Marriage in South Africa..... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Sheila Camerer has been a member of South Africa's Parliament since 1987. She has worked as deputy minister of justice, leader in the National Assembly of the now-defunct New National Party and a member of the Judicial Service Commission. After the d... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Shelagh Gastrow is the executive director of the South African Institute of Advancement, known as Inyathelo.
Better known as the author of five editions of Who's Who in South African Politics, Shelagh has spent the past five years building up the... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Simon Barber joined the International Marketing Council as US country manager in 2002. He was for many years the Washington correspondent for Business Day and the Sunday Times. He arrived in South Africa 30 years ago last September armed with little... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Simone Haysom is a recovering Capetonian. Currently living in London, it's been four months since she saw a mountain and has finally gotten over the shakes. Haysom has a Master's degree in Geography and doesn't own, or want, an ipad.
Sipho Hlongwane has done none of the things that normally qualify people to be on this august site. He has never written a book, or completed a fancy PhD in the vagaries of politics, economics or even a BA.
Siyabonga Ntshingila is a walking example of how not to go through life productively.
Having been chanced his lackadaisical way through an education at one of the country's finest boys schools and a noted university, he then proceeded to unleash h... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Steve Whitford is the editor of Do Gaming (http://gaming.do.co.za). After working as a journalist across a number of sectors for a couple of years, he began freelancing and then moved into tech public relations. He then moved into gaming where he now... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Steve Vosloo is the 21st Century Learning Fellow at the Shuttleworth Foundation. He is a past Digital Vision Fellow at Stanford University, where he researched youth and digital media. He blogs at vosloo.net.
Steven Lamini is a specialist adviser in one of the key policy fields troubling modern-day Europe and works across a range of equality fields, advising on policy and strategic approaches to cohesion.
Steven Friedman is a research associate at Idasa and visiting professor of politics at Rhodes University. He is a newspaper columnist and a media commentator on South African politics. His academic speciality is the study of democracy. He wrote Build... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Sthembile is a bright and vibrant production assistant for the M&G Online. Sthe’s weekends are well spent at the best joints in town, where music and arts are served. She is a social butterfly who sees her weekends as adventures worth sharing.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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He started copywriting in advertising in the 90s after a failed drag-queen career. He is co-founder of Studio4332, a new age communications agency that changes consumer behaviour through any medium ne... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Once, while his greyhound from Washington D.C. to San Francisco was on a breakfast stop, Terence Beney met an American princess from an all-girl pre-law college and a forty year old man who was heading back to his trailer (parked in his parents back... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Terri Barnes is an associate professor of history at the University of the Western Cape. She is fortunate to have lived in southern Africa since 1982. She has two teenage boys and an incarcerated husband. She thinks about money and the end of the wor... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Tertius Kapp is a visiting senior lecturer in the department of Dutch and South African studies at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Dr Thabisi Hoeane is a lecturer at the Rhodes University Department of Political and International Studies. His research interests include African and South African politics, democratisation, ethinicity and identity politics, politics of emerging de... read more subscribe to RSS |
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The Sumo is a strapping young man in his late 20s who considers himself the ultimate transitional South African. Born and raised in a KwaZulu-Natal township near Durban, he was part of the first group of black initiates into the "multiracial" educati... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Tom Robbins is a freelance writer concentrating on economics, business and politics. Robbins was previously a senior financial journalist at Independent Newspapers’ Business Report, focusing on the performance of the retail sector (though his intim... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Tony is a corporate animal but it wasn't always so. He used to work in the media, with a specific interest in technology; travel; music; and getting free stuff. He doesn't consider himself a thought leader, although he does confess to having thoughts... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Tony Grant is a salesman from Jo'burg; he used to be a well-respected surfer. Anyway, he's decided to ask some big, and some small, questions of varying nature, and he's using this blog site to do so. One of his most talked-about attributes is that w... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Tony Jackman is a journalist, budding playwright and sometime chef. He's written two plays, An Influence of Ghosts and Blue Train Coming, and back in the day wrote loads of songs. He paints a bit in watercolours when he remembers to, and apart from t... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Trevor Ncube is the owner of M&G Media in South Africa, which publishes the Mail & Guardian newspaper and the M&G Online, among others. He is also the publisher of the Zimbabwe Independent and the Standard in Zimbabwe.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Tyler is a young entrepreneur, blogger and speaker. He is the Creative Strategist at Younique, a social media marketing firm. He spends most of his time working with the latest web 2.0 technologies and trends to find new ways of engaging consumers. H... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Vincent Maher is the Mail & Guardian Online's digital strategist. He has worked in the web industry for 12 years, was the head of the New Media Lab at the Rhodes University School of Journalism and Media Studies and writes columns for Enjin and ... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Vinny Lingham received global acclaim for for founding a number of businesses, under the umbrella of incuBeta.com, which has become a world leader in online marketing & search engine marketing employing 60 talented technologists and search marketers.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Dr Vusi Gumede has post-graduate qualifications in economics and public policy, among others. He worked for the South African government for about 10 years, as an advisor, economist, policy analyst, etc. Prior to that, he was in the academic/research... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Warren Foster is a part time writer, part time editor, part time student and full time thinker with much on his mind... mostly about gender, politics and reconciliation in this country. Every so often one of these thoughts sneaks its way onto Thought... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Warren has been specialising in information technology and intellectual property law for the past eight years and has become rather good at it during this time. His experiences have involved some interesting journeys along the information superhighwa... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Saunderson-Meyer writes the syndicated Jaundiced Eye column, which appears in The Weekend Argus, The Citizen, and Weekend Witness. He also writes a books column, Killer Thrillers, for the Sunday Times.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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The Winter School -- a place where people perform by talking -- is an old, established part of the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. On this blog, some participants and observers share their views on the 2008 Winter School.
This blog Thought Leader thing seemed like an interesting social experiment to say YES to. Besides, quite a few of my friends and acquaintances had already been invited to blah-blah, so why not join the party?
Zodidi Mhlana is a Mail & Guardian trainee reporter. In her spare time she likes reading, following current affairs and watching sports.... read more subscribe to RSS |
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Zukile Majova is Head of News for YFM 99.2. He is a former Mail & Guardian Investigative Reporter. He writes politics for Sowetan Newspaper. Contact him via Facebook, Twitter, zukile@yfm.co.za, 011 280 0300 and 071 681 0192... read more subscribe to RSS |
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