Interview with Lizeka Mda

Lizeka Mda graduated from Rhodes University in 1984 with a BA (Honours) in Journalism and Sociology. For nearly four decades she has excelled in the fields of communication and media, filling the roles of reporter on social, political and economic issues, to title editor, to publisher of several magazines. Lizeka has written for local and international publications on diverse topics, from media to migration. She has produced radio programmes on politics and society for the SABC, the BBC and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Lizeka has authored both fiction and non-fiction books and regularly presents papers at international conferences, with a special focus on African media. Her career has included roles as senior writer for the Mail & Guardian, deputy editor at City Press, executive editor at The Star and editor-in-chief of Sawubona magazine. She is a Nieman Fellow of Harvard University, specialising in globalisation, and a Ron Brown Fellow of the National Minority Business Council, New York, with a focus on book publishing. Lizeka has served on the executive board of the South African National Editors Forum, and the Appeals Panel of the Press Council. She is currently a lecturer in journalism practice with Wits Journalism School.