Команда Media Monitoring Africa представила биографии сотрудников, занимающихся мониторингом СМИ и защитой прав детей

William studied at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg where he obtained his BA and Honours degree in Drama and Film. He worked in television after completing his studies. Unable to resist the lure of media monitoring, William started with some part time monitoring for the Media Monitoring Project, now Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) in 1995 and after leaving television joined the MMA as a researcher. At MMA William has overseen or been directly involved in over 100 media monitoring projects on subjects ranging from gender based violence, HIV, and racism to children and the media. William has also completed overseeing the data analysis of the biggest civil society media monitoring exercise in the world – the Global Media Monitoring Project. For this project over 100 countries monitored gender around the world. William has also overseen the name change of the MMP to Media Monitoring Africa in 2008. William was appointed an Ashoka fellow in 2009 and also a Linc Fellow in 2010 for his work focused on children’s participation in the media. He is regularly accessed in the media on a range of media focused issues. In his twelve years as director of MMA William has helped MMA grow from a small 3 people driven organisation to a committed team of 16 people, with a clear vision and dedicated programme areas. William’s knowledge of media monitoring and commitment to deepening democracy in South Africa and the continent has ensured his expertise is internationally recognised In his spare time William likes to monitor the media when not otherwise distracted by his young sons. Thandi has worked for Media Monitoring Africa for about nine years and was recently appointed Head of Programmes for the organisation. She previously headed the Policy & Quality Programme which focuses on a range of issues including media policy, regulation, digital rights, internet governance, and quality journalism. She holds a Masters degree in Media Studies, obtained from the University of the Witswatersrand. Her dissertation examined issues of universal access in South Africa’s digital migration. She also obtained an Honours degree in Media Studies from the same institution. Thandi has a keen interest in research around new media, internet governance and media law. George Kalu was born in Nairobi, Kenya, and later moved to South Africa in 1994. He completed his high school education in Johannesburg and went on to study at Rhodes University. At Rhodes, he earned a BA Degree with majors in Journalism and Media Studies and Politics. He also graduated with a Post Graduate Diploma in International Studies from the same institution. George’s journey at Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) began in 2003 when he started as a seasonal Media Monitor. In 2004, he became a permanent project coordinator at MMA. His early work involved project implementation and coordination, focusing on media monitoring and research projects related to human rights topics such as elections, children’s participation in the media, gender analysis, race, and xenophobia analysis, as well as radio news coverage. Around 2008, there was a need for someone to lead the Children’s Programme at MMA. George, who had a strong passion for children’s work from his involvement with a local church, took on this role. After some training and coaching, George became an expert on child participation and children’s rights in relation to the media. He trained children to monitor news and advocate for changes in how they were portrayed in media reports. He also provided training to journalists on how to engage with and listen to children during media interviews. Additionally, George conducted training sessions for practitioners from partner organizations in Uganda, Burundi, and Zambia on CRP and child participation in the context of media and children’s rights. Ntsako holds a BA Degree in International Relations and Political Sciences from the University of the Witwatersrand. He is passionate about media policy and regulation. He first joined media monitoring Africa in 2011 as media monitor. Since then, he has worked as a Media Monitor on different projects. He then joined MMA Policy Unit on full time basis as a research in 2016 where he focuses on media policy and regulation. Ntsako is currently a committee member of the South African Internet Governance Forum. He has interests in media diversity, human rights, gender, new media, current affairs and South African politics. He is interested South African history book and a loyal fan of South African national sports teams of rugby, soccer and cricket. Lister is an experienced project management coordinator with a demonstrated history of working in the children’s rights advocacy, research, media and communication fields. She is also skilled in social media, community outreach and development, capacity building, marketing and fundraising. Lister has been championing children’s rights and best practices in the media for over 10 years. She believes how the media portrays children in their reporting has a direct influence on how society will begin to view and treat them. Lister has a Post Graduate Diploma in Project Management from Cavendish University in Zambia. She was born and raised in Zambia and relocated to South Africa in 2014. In her spare time, Lister enjoys writing and reading. Some of her stories are enjoying a great readership on social media. Phakamile Khumalo is a dedicated advocate for the protection and promotion of children’s rights, media and digital advocacy. With an Honours Degree in Development Studies from WITS University and a certificate in Public Policy & Analysis from the Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute, she has over 8 years of experience in civil society work. At MMA, Phakamile leads crtical projects that advance child participation and digital rights within the African context, with a particular emphasis on creating safe, inclusive digital spaces for young people. Her expertise centers on the intersection of human rights, internet governance and children’s digital rights, with a passion for child participation in democratic processes. Notably, she was listed in the Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans in 2019 and selected for the DGMT innovation fellowship in 2024, and is currenlty pursuing a Masters Degree in Multidisciplinary Human Rights to further advance her work in child participation and digital rights within African context. Msizi holds a certificate in Public Relations from Unisa and obtained a Diploma in Public Relations Management at the same institution. He has experience in data capturing, monitoring media coverage on children, national and local elections. Msizi has supervised and quality checked media monitors in Zambia and Lesotho during their general elections. At MMA, he is responsible for overseeing data collection, monitoring and quality checking of all data captured on Dexter (our monitoring tool). Msizi also loves art, reading, soccer and listening to reggae music. Jacques holds a bachelors degree in Business Administration and a Diploma in marketing management. Jacques is also a social activist and involved in different issues involving human rights and social justice in Africa. He is part of the African Diaspora and he is able to speak Spanish, English and French. His role includes conducting elections monitoring, various pieces of research and analysis, parliament submissions and supervising elections monitors. He is responsible of quality control of database and writes media monitoring reports. Jacques is passionate about Africa and its media landscape. He is interested in sport, loves park run and tennis. Musa obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies and Sociology from University of Witwatersrand (Wits). He started working at Media Monitoring Africa in 2008. Since then, he has worked as a Media Monitor on different projects. He is currently working as the Children’s Project Coordinator. His roles in this position include training and supervising Media Monitors and Data Capturers. He also does quality control of monitored and captured work, database management and writes media monitoring reports. Musa is interested in books and is an avid local soccer supporter but occasional follows other sporting activities. Ntombifuthi holds a BA honours degree in Media studies and Psychology from University of Witwatersrand (WITS). She has 10 years’ experience in Media monitoring, Social listening, research, Analysis and Report writing. Ntombi joins MMA to fulfil her interest in protecting children’s rights and advocating for women’s rights. Her current role at MMA is Project Coordinator for research and analysis. Her interests include reading, writing, and discovering new artists. She believes in freedom of expression and self care Sundays. Nthabiseng has a diploma in office computing obtained at falcon business institute and End-User certificate from PC training college. She has 8 years working experience as a production assistant/administrator in the media industry and has also worked at a local library as a Facilitator/Administrator for 2 years assisting children with homework and literature. She is a self motivated person with analytical problem solving skills, she is a firm believer in education and hard work. She is very passionate and enjoys working with people. Noor is an intersectional activist and feminist who is passionate about social justice and working collaboratively to strengthen human rights in South Africa. She has a background in psychology and has previously been involved with different organisations such as Amnesty International South Africa, Unicef, ProjectYouth SA, and the Palestine Solidarity Alliance. Her work was recognised when she was awarded the Mail and Guardian Top 200 Young South African in 2025, the Youth Activist of the Year Award in 2021 by Amnesty International South Africa, and the Leadership Baton by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation in 2023. She was also chosen as one of 24 Youth Fellows for Swedish International Youth Think Tank and participated in the 6th International Youth Think Tank Conference and Nobel Symposia (N23) and serves as a Youth Advisor to the Swedish Embassy in Pretoria as part of their Youth Advisors Programme. She is currently the Communications Manager at Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) and is passionate about media and believes that the media has a crucial role to play in shaping our democratic society. She is committed to strengthening information integrity and furthering accessibility to news and information for all. She is also currently serving on the Nominations Committee of Amnesty International South Africa, playing a pivotal role in shaping the leadership of AISA and advancing Amnesty International South Africa’s mission to promote and protect human rights. Kgothatso, affectionately known as Baatile, first joined MMA as a Media Monitor in 2015–2016. Drawn back by the dynamic energy of the organization, she returned in 2018 as a Project Administrator and advanced to Communications Coordinator in 2019. She holds a Diploma in Journalism, a Certificate in Social Media, and a Certificate in Graphic Design. She is also currently pursuing a BCom in Digital Marketing, further strengthening her expertise in both creative design and strategic communication. These qualifications equip her with a unique blend of skills in content creation, digital engagement, and visual storytelling. Beyond her professional achievements, Baatile enjoys going to church, traveling, and spending quality time with family and friends. In her spare time, she expresses her creativity as a photographer, blogger, and violinist. Siphokazi Pikoko joined Moxii Africa as a Communications Intern and holds a qualification in Diploma in Public Relations a Btech in Communications Management at the University of Johannesburg. After a year later Siphokazi started her role as a Junior Communications Officer and is now responsible for copywriting, social media management and any other comms related tasks. With a strong interest in digital marketing and advertising, Siphokazi aspires to be a media professional , a humanitarian and hopes to venture into agriculture in the near future. Describing herself as a fun, outgoing lady, she enjoys movies, adventure, reading fictional novels, and music. Keamogetswe Sere, known as Kea, is a Junior Data Scientist at Media Monitoring Africa (MMA), where she leverages her skills to contribute to the organization’s mission of championing ethical journalism and human rights. She holds a BCom degree in Information Systems and Management from Rhodes University and has recently earned a Data Science certificate, along with completing a short course on Artificial Intelligence with ALX(African Leadership Xcelerator). Passionate about effecting change and broadening her horizons, Kea aims to use technology to foster positive transformation in alignment with MMA’s values of fairness, ethics, and critical engagement across the African continent. Since joining MMA , Kea has embraced the opportunity to deepen her understanding of media landscapes while being part of a team dedicated to fostering social justice and ethical standards. Her diverse interests, from string theory to fantasy literature, reflect her curiosity and love for learning. Kea believes in the transformative power of media and is committed to growing within an organization that prioritizes children’s rights and human dignity, recognizing that even small contributions can create significant change. Tumelo is a BA Journalism graduate from the University of Johannesburg who further obtained a higher learning certificate in Strategic Brand Management at the AAA School of Advertising. He has career experience in Publicity Management, Marketing and Project Coordination. Tumelo’s affection and enthusiasm for young people and their rights saw him recently join the MMA team as a Children’s Project Officer, where he provides administrative support on various child focused initiatives. He is an avid literature junkie, a music aficionado, and an all-round sports fanatic who also takes a keen interest in current affairs throughout the world. In his spare time, he manages a YouTube channel called the Kasi Improvement Project a platform that champions township economic development issues.