He was Deputy Editor of The Sowetan daily newspaper in Johannesburg; and Editor-at-Large of The Namibian newspaper in Windhoek; broadcast the Letter from Africa Radio Column for the BBC World Service in London; and an Editorial Panel Member of PostGlobal, the Washington Post. He has advised many global companies whether to make key investments in or withdraw from emerging markets. He advised several governments around the world, chaired several national public inquiries into state reforms; and mediated or advised the resolution of several industrial, communal and country conflicts. He taught ethics for Members of Parliament of member countries of the British Commonwealth; taught MPs of all Parties in South Africa’s National Assembly how to put together the country’s Budget; and taught South Africa’s Cabinet how state-owned companies operate.
He is based at the School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. He was former Senior Associate and Oppenheimer Fellow, St Antony’s College, Oxford; former Program Director, Africa Asia Centre, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London; former Senior Research Fellow; Graduate Student Mentor, London School of Economics and Political Sciences; former Press Fellow, Wolfson College, Cambridge; former Course Leader, School of Public Policy, Central European University, Budapest; and former Course-Leader, New School University, New York.
He campaigns to get black communities to donate blood, organs and bone marrow stem cells. As someone who suffered from cancer, he supports cancer research into treatments, policy making and awareness. He is involved in initiatives to de-stigmatise mental illness. He beliefs passionately in enhancing technology for development, democracy and peace. He promotes reading in disadvantaged communities. He believes passionately in the power of reading, life-long education and entrepreneurship as stepladders out of poverty.
